Beyond the Horizon
by Mintobrandybuck
Summary: Sequel 2 of 2 to The Point of No Return. Taking place one year after PoNR, Christine is back and, with the help of Blaze, is in pursuit of the organization that changed her life! She wants answers, but will what she discovers be the truth she hoped for?
1. One year later

**Author's Note: Well, some of you may have noticed the peculiar, "Sequel 1 of 2" in TBWBF's description. Well, this is what it means:**

**Two, count 'em, TWO, sequels to PoNR. Yup, they take place in the same time period, too. Side-by-side. So, please enjoy, and please R&R!**

_A single dirt road, leading straight to the front door of a building clearly labeled, "Beyond". No bumps, no obstacles, just a straight road._

_It should have been easy, right?_

_I took a step forward, feeling uneasy. There had to be a catch. Somehow, some way, this would all come back to haunt me. But, no, there was nothing to it. No traps. No plots._

_I could finally get some answers. All I had to do was take a few more steps forward._

"_Momma? Where are you going, momma?" I turned my head around slowly. Shadow and Rose, my babies, were lying in their bed, watching me with big, questioning eyes. "Where are you going?" Rose asked me, looking confused. In my chest, my heart did a somersault and my stomach tied itself in a knot._

_What could I do? I took another step forward. Rose and Shadow just continued to watch me. What could I do? Going to Beyond meant leaving them behind. I couldn't do that! I'm their mother!_

_But…I may never get another chance like this. I could find out what happened to me, and maybe how I could reverse it. Ooh, the indecision was killing me. I looked around, hoping a sign, some miracle would pop up and lead me down the correct path._

"_Christine! You can do the right thing, I believe in you!" I turned, searching for the voice. It was Blaze, far off the path, seemingly just floating there in the black void. _

"_But, what's the right decision?" I had to know. Blaze grinned at me._

"_You can do it! I believe in you!" Gee, that helps. I took another step towards the building in front of me. There was a whimper from behind me. I hesitated, then took a step back. The large gray building seemed to move further away, just out of my reach. I was stuck; in an impasse._

"_What do I do?" I called back to Blaze. He just kept smiling._

"_I have faith in you, Christine!" Then help me! I needed help…I needed to know what to do! I sighed, gritting my teeth, then quickly ran forward, blocking out everything else around me. The building drew up quickly, soon towering over me._

"_Momma! Come back!" My kit's voices pierced whatever barriers I had put up. I ignored them with difficulty, placing a paw on the large metal door._

_The ground beneath me collapsed. It came completely without warning. I didn't even have time to panic. _

"_Nooo!" I shouted. I was so close! I had just a bit more to go! I had left them behind…it was too late to go back! What have I done? What have I done?_

…_what have I done?_

_I hit something, hard, knocking the breath right out of me. Standing in front of me were…Shadow and Rose. But they were big._

"_Shadow? Rose?" I asked cautiously. They just sat there. "I'm so sorry…can you forgive me?" They shook their heads slowly._

"_It's too late for that now." They both turned, walking off into the darkness. I messed up, horribly. I just wanted to take it all back. Just hit the big ol' rewind button on my life. I just wanted to go back. I cried out to my children, who had disappeared into the empty blackness._

()()()()()()()()()()

I woke up screaming. Someone bolted upright beside me, looking around in the dark.

"Christine," Blaze asked me, "Are you okay?" I shook my head. "Did you have the dream again?" I nodded.

Blaze sat up, sighing. He scooted closer to me, holding his body against mine. I leaned against him, burying myself in the comfort of his warm body. I just noticed that I was crying.

"Shhh…" he said quietly, consoling me. "It's okay, Christine…it's just a dream…" But it wasn't just a dream. It was real! Or, at least, as real as a dream could be. I left my children behind! Blaze and I had gotten within a hair's breadth of finding Beyond, but it was snatched away at the last second. We failed. And for what? We couldn't go home now, not after we left so suddenly!

How would it be if we just show up a year later, after such an abrupt departure? I could see the conversation now: 'Oh, hey guys! Sorry we left without telling you and probably making you worry yourselves half to death. Can we crash here for the night?'

Yeah, that'd go over well. Isabel might not be as mad at us, but I was almost certain that my kits probably hated every fiber of my being right now.

Pretty optimistic, eh? I thought struck me. A year…it had been a whole year since we left. Shadow and Rose were probably so big…if only I could see them. I sniffled, holding myself against Blaze for a moment longer before sitting up. He nuzzled my face fondly.

"Are you alright?" That was my Blaze, the ever-concerned. Our entire trip he had been true to his word, and more. After we left, we set off the find the Beyond headquarters. But when we arrived, the building was gone. Not empty, or abandoned.

Just…gone. As if the large gray building had never existed. After that, I tried desperately to find any traces of the corporation. I thought I had found a lead, but even after a few months of following the trail, it was a dead-end. And Blaze had been with me the whole way. Never left my side. Sure, we'd had our share of arguments, but it was a good journey we'd shared.

I remembered the promise he made to me the day we left. 'Then I'll wait…with a smile.'

He didn't have to wait long. A month or two ago I announced I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I've never seen him so happy. Frankly, I hadn't been that happy in a long time, either. It was the first decision I made that felt truly, wholly right.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." Blaze smiled, lying back down on the ground. I looked around at our makeshift little home- a small cave in the face of a rolling hill- before curling up next to Blaze and drifting off into sleep.


	2. Remembrance pt 1

**A/N: Not a lot to say here except Happy New Year!**

**Let's hope it's a good one!**

"_But…but…that's impossible!"_

"_Now, Christine, I'm sure it's here somewhere. Maybe you made a mistake?"_

"_No, it was right __**here**__! I'm sure of it!"_

"_But, how could it just disappear?"_

_I plopped to the ground, defeated. "I don't know…" It was so strange…how could they building be gone? Blaze and I had walked the rest of the way to the city after our little detour. Luckily, I still remembered the directions to get to the Beyond headquarters, but when we arrived…_

"_Look, maybe we should look around. It _has_ been a while since you came here last." Blaze pointed out, looking around for a sign of the large gray building. I sighed, knowing he was right. But still…I knew what I knew! The building was here, and now it's not! There was just a big, empty lot left. There were even some plants already growing there! How could they have done that?_

_I was about to join Blaze in his own search when I noticed something on the ground. There was a dark patch on the ground on the far end of the lot. I walked up to it, trying to figure out what it was. It looked like someone had spilled something. I sniffed it._

_It was blood._

_I panicked for a moment, but then realized it could somehow be a clue. I began to search around for any more hints. I spotted a patch of bluish fur caught on a branch of a nearby bush. Perfect!_

"_Blaze, come here!" I called. He rushed over._

"_What is it?" he asked, looking around. I nodded at the patch of fur on the bush. "Hmm…what's this?" He studied it for a moment, then noticed the patch of blood on the ground. He sniffed it then started walking away from it with his nose to the ground._

"_Where are you going?" I asked him, following close behind._

"_There's a faint trail." he answered without breaking his concentration. He followed the trail until we reached the woods behind where the Beyond building should've been. He looked up at the trees, then back down to me. "Whoever it was that got hurt went through here. Are you ready?" I nodded._

"_Then let's go."_

_()()()()()()()()()()_

_It seems like it was hours of following the trail before we stopped to rest. Whoever left the trail was probably still hurt, so it couldn't be much farther until we found him or her. For now, I was content to just lie down on the cool ground and look up at the trees._

"_Pretty, pretty, eh?" I nodded, but I paused. That wasn't Blaze who said it. It couldn't be. He was standing right next to me._

_Wait, Blaze was standing next to me…growling at something. Growling at what? I looked up._

_It was a rather angry-looking Houndoom. Dammit, can't I ever get away from these bozos?_

"_Isn't killing you once more than enough?" Blaze growled. I stood up quickly and joined him by his side. What o earth was Houndoom doing here? And alive? Unless we have the wrong one, of course._

"_Bah, you're thinking of the boss." He grinned, turning his attention to me. "'Member me?" I couldn't deny it. This was definitely one of Beyond's Pokemon. But, I thought Blaze killed Houndoom already!_

_Unless…this is a different Houndoom. _

_That's right, Houndoom had two lackeys, right? And…they both got away. On that night. I knew this guy's grin was familiar. It was the very same that killed Lucia._

"_What do you want?" Blaze demanded, still glaring at our opponent. _

"_Well, let's take a look at the situation…" Houndoom said with an obnoxious tone. "You killed my boss, ruined my chances of getting her kits for the whitecoats, and now when I'm presented with a second chance, you both stand in the way. What do you think I'm going to do?" Then he did something we didn't see coming. He smiled and turned around. "I'm not letting you find her first. She's all mine." Then he dashed off into the woods, leaving us to ponder his words._

"_Do you think he means the hurt Pokemon?" Blaze asked after a moment. I nodded. _

"_It looks like we're going to have to find her first. She could be our only clue."_

_()()()()()()()()()()_

_There was no way she was going to survive for much longer. Running was tiring her out all too quickly, and she had absolutely nowhere to go._

_No family to turn to, no friends to look for, nothing. She was born in the whitecoats' facility, and she was determined not to die in there. So she escaped. Two days ago, when there was all the commotion going on and everyone was in a rush to get away. No one had even noticed her slip away. But she was sure they would've gone looking for her by now. It was only a matter of time._

_She stopped by a creek, catching her breath. She still had a long ways to run, as it turned out._

_()()()()()()()()()()_

"_She's close…I can tell." Blaze mumbled an hour later. We had been following the hurt Pokemon's scent all throughout the forest. She must've been trying to elude someone, or something, because the trail zigged and zagged and looped all over the place. "Through here." _

_We passed through a group of trees and ended up in a large, open field. A river cut through the field, heading down from the mountains and into the trees. And down by the riverbank was an unconscious Nidorina._

"_Think that's her?" Blaze asked. I shrugged. We approached the Pokemon carefully, keeping a wary eye out for any signs of a trap. The Nidorina was very skinny and pale, as if she had not eaten in quite a while. She looked very sickly, and she had a fair number of bad cuts and bruises, one considerable one running the length of her side. She also had a nasty injury on her head, which was bleeding pretty badly. As we got closer, we saw that she was unconscious._

"_We need to do something." I said, summing up the damage. "And fast." To my dismay, I found she was much worse than she looked, and she looked pretty bad in the first place. She was missing a patch of fur on her side, so I knew this was who we were looking for._

_Nidorina was just a bit smaller than me, but since Blaze was larger than I was he had no problem carrying the unconscious Pokemon on his back. I hefted her onto Blaze's back, trying all the while to remember which way the nearest town was._

"_Maybe we could bring her to Sam's house." Blaze suggested. "We're probably only a days' walk from the city." I didn't like the idea of going back so soon (because we had only been gone, what, a day or two?), but it looked like our only hopes of getting the Nidorina to safety._

"_Alright, let's go." Blaze nodded, raising his nose to the air. He gestured, signaling which way the city was. _

_We were heading home. Already._

_()()()()()()()()()()_

_Nidorina awoke to find darkness. She panicked a moment, flailing her legs about, before she stopped and decided to try it the smart way._

_Alright. She gathered that she was lying down on the ground, probably in a cave of some sort. It must've been nighttime, judging by how dark it was. How long had she been out? Nidorina froze. There was the sound of soft breathing nearby. Slowly, carefully, Nidorina rolled over and got up onto all fours. Taking slow steps, she edged towards a faint source of light; the entrance to the cave, no doubt. Nidorina grinned as she took another step, drawing closer to the exit, when she accidentally stepped on something soft…and furry._

_()()()()()()()()()()_

_Blaze yelped, making me snap up to see what was wrong. There was a mad scramble near where Blaze was sleeping. Were we under attack? Blaze's attacker scrambled away from him and dove out the entryway, landing with a hard _THUD_ outside. I stood still, not daring to breathe, for a long moment. When there was no noise, I scooted closer to the entryway and peeked out._

_Our attacker was lying facedown just outside the cave. And it wasn't an ambush. It was Nidorina. She must have woken up and tried to escape._

"_Hey…are you alright?" I asked, setting myself down at the Nidorina's side. She looked up at me with big, scared-looking eyes. _

"_Christine? Who's there?" Blaze stumbled out of the cave, ready to fight. The look on his face made the Nidorina withdraw further._

"_Oh, it's okay…" I reassured her, lying down next to her. "We're not going to hurt you. We want to help." Nidorina opened her eyes a bit, then, growing more comfortable, sat up._

"_I want to go home…" she muttered, burying her face in my side. The poor thing couldn't have been more than a few years old. I'm not sure how that translates into Pokemon years, but I figured she must've still been a child, so my nifty maternal instinct kicked in right on time._

"_Shh…" I cooed, gesturing to Blaze to go back to bed. He nodded and headed back into the cave. "Now, what's your name?"_

"_Bella-Rose." she said, lifting her head up._

_Rose…it made me think of my own children. I missed them so much…I only wished that I could get the chance to apologize to them. Bella must have noticed the look on my face because she frowned._

"_Is something wrong?" she asked, suddenly looking concerned. She may have been young, but she was mature beyond her years. _

_I shook my head. "No, you just remind me of my own children. That's all." Bella smiled. I sat up, looking her straight in the eye. "So, can you tell me why you're here?" She proceeded to tell me about how she was born in a research facility (I could only assume it was one of Beyond's), and went into detail about how the whitecoats mistreated her and so many other Pokemon. She escaped a few days ago when all the scientists were in a big panic and loading everything into big vehicles. I figured that's when they moved the lab facility. It still didn't explain where the building went, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. Bella's story reinvigorated my hatred for Beyond and the whitecoats._

_When she finished, I smiled at her. "Don't worry, sweetie. We're going to bring you to some nice humans to get you fixed up, okay?" Bella hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, then let's get some sleep._

_As I ushered her back into the cave, I stopped at the entrance and looked out into the night sky. I hope Beyond was prepared, because I was coming after them._

_()()()()()()()()()()_

_We woke up early the next morning so we could get to the city as soon as possible. We didn't have much longer to go, probably just a few hours of walking. We ate a quick breakfast and Bella climbed onto Blazes back, and we were off._

_We only stopped to take a break just as the city came into view. We plopped down by the side of the road and had a snack. _

"_Bella, do you know where the whitecoats said they were going?" I decided to ask. I wanted to find out anything I could about Beyond, and as soon as I could. _

_Bella nodded. "Yeah, I think they said-". Her words were cut short by a sudden flash of black. As quickly as she had been sitting right in front of me, she was gone. I bounded up, looking around wildly for her. Standing a few feet away was a strange dark Pokemon holding Bella under its arm. It had wickedly long claws and dark fur, with a strange red headdress-type adornment. It was grinning at us devilishly._

"_That'll be enough of that, now." Its words were spoken in a low hiss. It had a hand cupped over Bella's mouth, preventing her from speaking. The Pokemon had a strange air surrounding it. There were no doubts about it; this Pokemon was of the Dark Gang._

"_Who are you, and what do you want with Bella?" I asked, arching my back and getting ready for a fight if need be. Blaze did the same, moving closer to me._

_The Pokemon laughed. "Bella? It has a name now? How cute…" It scratched beneath Bella's chin, making her squirm. It turned its attention back to us. "I'm Weavile. You'd do good to remember that name. And as for the girl? My master wants her. We can't have the little escape artist getting away." _

_I growled at Weavile. "Well, you can't have her. Now set her down and get lost." Blaze lunged at him, but landed hard on the ground where Weavile was standing just a second ago. I whipped around, looking for our opponent. He was behind us, gripping the now-squirming Bella with two hands._

_Weavile chuckled. "Heh heh heh…set her down?" He winked at me. "Not likely." I lunged forward, but he jumped back and disappeared into the woods. Damn, this guy was fast._

_I Ran over to Blaze and helped him up. "C'mon, we gotta go after him!" Blaze nodded in agreement and we took off in pursuit of the Weavile. _

_The only problem was, how were we going to catch up with him?_


	3. Remembrance pt 2

_Weaviles are fast as hell._

_I hate to admit it, but Blaze and I learned this the hard way. We pursued the dark Pokemon for a long time, a couple months at least, but never did we once give in. It may sound selfish, but this was a magnificent way to find Beyond._

_Don't get me wrong, I wanted to save Bella more than anything, but the knowledge that the Weavile may lead us to Beyond's new headquarters made me run a bit faster each time._

_So, we spent the following months chasing our target, arriving at each new town to the same thing, "You just missed him."_

_We chased him so far as to the Clearspring River, the dividing line between the northern and southern halves of the Region. But still, nothing._

_But, I'm sure you're already bored of that part. Those weren't the best times we've ever had, but it gave me a chance to spend time with Blaze, and my outlook changed again, for the better. Even though he had made his feelings clear before we left, he didn't push our relationship. In fact, I don't recall him ever mentioning it; he just went on with life as if we were just friends, just like I would've wanted it. He was such a great guy, and our time together did nothing but strengthen our bond._

"_Now what?" I asked one night, sighing and the ground. "We've almost lost the trail and the Beyond headquarters is still not in sight." Blaze remained silent, gazing up at the sky. I turned to face him. "Do you even know what day it is? Or what month, for that matter?" I sighed again. _

"_Christine…come here." When shifted to get up, Blaze shot me a look. "Quietly." he whispered. I nodded and moved over to him slowly. I traced Blaze's line of sight, and saw what he was looking at, standing in a small clearing among the trees. It was the silhouette of a creature, standing above another._

"…_who is it, Blaze?" I asked him quietly, even though I was sure I already knew the answer._

"_It's Weavile. I recognize his scent." Blaze nodded, moving towards the figure in the clearing slowly. I began to follow him, but hesitated. Something seemed wrong. Why did he suddenly decide to stop, here in these woods? And it couldn't be luck that he was so close to us. He was always at least a day ahead of us. Something smelled fishy, and it wasn't just our dinner._

_Blaze stopped about a foot behind Weavile. "Ahem." He said, hoping to startle to dark Pokemon. But Weavile didn't show any signs that he had heard Blaze. Blaze tapped Weavile on the shoulder. Still no response. Blaze tapped the Pokemon's shoulder again, harder this time, making him topple over onto his side. I gasped._

_Weavile was dead._

"_Christine, stand back!" Blaze shouted, stepping between me and Weavile's body. I looked around to see if anyone else could have committed the crime, but the only other person here was…Bella._

"_B-bella?" I took a hesitant step towards the Nidorina. She was still slumped on the ground, seemingly unconscious. But if she was out cold, then who-_

"_Wagh!" Blaze cried, jumping back in alarm. A strange purple Pokemon had materialized in front of him. The Pokemon was smaller then the two of us, but had an odd air of command about it. It was dark purple and stood on two legs like a human. It had a blood-red diamond on its chest and its eyes were large and reminiscent of sapphires. It seemed to lack any other facial features, yet it managed to chuckle maliciously at Blaze's expression._

-_Ku ku ku…stupid dog- Its laugh was eerie and sent chills down my spine. Blaze was frozen in place, paralyzed with fear. I was the first to sum up the courage to approach the new arrival._

"_Are…are you the one who killed Weavile?" I asked. The Pokemon raised a hand and I instinctively took a step back, but it began to examine its nails. It was lying down on its side, but the odd thing was…it wasn't touching the ground. It was suspended in midair!_

"_So what if I am?" It hissed. It's voice seemed to come from nowhere, yet somehow at the same time it seemed to echo off every tree in the forest. It gave me goosebumps and made my hair stand on end._

"_Are you a member of the Dark Gang?" Blaze asked, taking a step closer to the odd Pokemon. Our mysterious guest grinned slyly, but not with a mouth. More with its eyes. It's hard to explain, really._

"_Yesss…" It 'climbed' down from its position suspended in midair, touching down on the ground. The Pokemon barely came up to my shoulder. "You may call me Sssableye…"_

"_But, why did you kill a fellow member of your gang?" I asked it, gaining more courage. It was confounding. What was Sableye doing here, and why did it kill Weavile? And if it planned on taking Bella away from us after we were so close, it had another thing coming._

-_Master's orders- Sableye replied simply. -Weavile was not doing a sufficient job. I'm here to take over for him- Sableye half-walked, half-floated over to its fallen comrade. It tsked, then promptly kicked the dead Pokemon's side._

_I was speechless. Beyond had gone too far. It was willing to sacrifice its own Pokemon, and for what? One escaped lab subject? It made no sense. It was beyond cruel._

"_You're not taking the girl." Blaze growled, stepping over Bella's unconscious form. Sableye seemed to find amusement in this, because it gave another one of its weird eye-grins._

-_Ku ku ku…I'm afraid you have no say in the matter- Sableye snapped it fingers. Bella's body shimmered for a moment then disappeared. I gasped, looking around for where she had been transported. Blaze snarled and lunged at Sableye, but it snapped its fingers again and disappeared._

-_You cannot defeat Beyond…we know every move you will make before you make it- Sableye's voice echoed off the trees, even thought the Pokemon was nowhere in sight. -We want you back, you know. So come on, we'll be waiting. Ku ku ku…- _

_I just sat there dumbstruck, frozen in time for a long while, before slumping to the ground in defeat. Beyond, no, even their Pokemon, were much more powerful than I had anticipated. And now we had no more leads, no more clues. No more hope._

"_Hey, cheer up." Blaze said, helping me to my feet. "Beyond's HQ can't be too far, right? Are you up for looking around?" I didn't really see the point, but somehow Blaze's words cheered me up significantly. I felt invigorated, like I could take on anything right now._

"_Sure. We're gonna find them, and we're gonna put a stop to them." _


	4. Remembrance pt 3

**A/N: Alright, here's the last of the Remembrance subplot. Thanks for sticking with the story, and I hope you enjoy!**

"_We're never going to find them…" There's only so long that someone can look for something without being driven mad. I had reached my limit. I lost track of how long we had explored the surrounding area. We had eventually searched every square inch, checked every tree, and lifted every rock within a hundred feet of where we found Weavile's body._

_Speaking of whom, we had given him a proper burial. Why, I'm not sure, but it felt like the right thing to do. He didn't deserve to die. He was just following orders, and he was killed for it. No, if anyone deserved to die it was those damn whitecoats._

_Anyways, I had gotten fed up of searching. So we began to wander around, hoping that we would find some sort of clue. We had very little success. And now, what was probably several weeks later, I was very ready to give in._

"_Oh, come on, Christine. I know we've searched a long time, but…" Blaze turned and looked at my face. He sighed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm tired of searching." He plopped down on the ground. I gladly joined him._

"_Now what?" I asked. "We have no leads, no guide, no home, no _nothing_." Blaze looked up at the sky, then chuckled._

"_That's not entirely true. We do have one thing."_

"_What's that?" I asked excitedly. Had he found a clue? I began to look around to see what he found._

"_Each other." Blaze said, smiling down at me._

"_Oh." I said, disappointed. Then what he said sunk in. "Oh! Yeah, we do!" I smiled back at him. We both sighed and looked out into the dark sky for a few moments._

"_Should we go find a shelter?" Blaze asked, breaking the silence. I nodded. We both got up onto all fours and began to search for a nice warm…_

…_cave. Again. sigh_

_Well, we found our shelter, made ourselves comfortable, and lay down on the ground. Honestly, I wish we could find a shelter sometime that wasn't a cave. _

"_It's better than nothing, right?" Blaze asked, reading my mind. I nodded. I guess I should be glad I was so lucky. I mean, it could be raining. And we could've not been able to find shelter. And I could not have Blaze with me. _

_That last thought surprised me. But…it was true. Blaze was…he was just so amazing. It he a great guy and…I really felt close to him. I felt a feeling that I thought I felt before, but this time there was no mistaking it. But…what if he didn't still feel the same way? He promised he'd wait…but that was a long time ago, probably close to a year! But still, I wanted to find out._

"_Blaze?" I asked quietly. He cracked an eye open, looking at me intently._

"_Yes, Christine?"_

_This was it. Now or never. Do or die. "Do…do you still love me?"_

_Blaze sat up, looking at me strangely. I almost recoiled from his gaze. "Well…" He said after a long, drawn-out wait, "At the risk of making you uncomfortable, Christine…yes, I still do." I practically gave a sigh of relief. The weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. "Why do you ask?"_

_I smiled shyly at Blaze. "Because, well…we've spent so much time together, and you've been such a wonderful friend, and I don't know what life would be like if you weren't here with me…" Blaze raised an eyebrow at me. Right. Get on with it. "Blaze, I…I love you, too." He looked confused. "…for real this time."_

_Blaze just stared at me for a long time, contemplating my words. "You…you what?"_

"_Blaze, I don't want to spend my life with anyone but you." I scooted closer to him, burying my face in his side. "I love you." I looked up to see his reaction._

_Let me tell you, I wish I could take a picture of his face. He had the most wonderful, excited, and purely happy look I have ever seen. _

"_Christine…y-you really mean it?" He stammered. I giggled._

"_Of course." I smiled at him. It was so funny seeing him grinning from ear to ear. Just to imagine him now in comparison to when we first met. I never would've thought I would fall in love. I leaned over and nuzzled his face. "Now let's get some sleep. We'll have to decide what we're going to do next in the morning._

_()()()()()()()()()()_

_The next day we decided just to take up residence in the cave, at least until we find a lead or get a better idea. The cave was spacious enough, and it was only a few minutes' walk away from a water source. I was perfectly fine with the idea; after all, there wasn't really anything better for us to do._

_So we spent a few days making our home more…livable. We laid down some plants to serve as a makeshift bed, and Blaze caught plenty of food. We were just…happy. Genuinely happy to be with each other, and away from the world. I wouldn't have cared if we had to spend our whole lives here, as long as we were with each other._

_About a week after we settled down, Blaze was out looking for food and I was staying back at the cave. We would've both been out hunting, and we did at first, but a few days prior we came back to our home to find it being raided by a group of Raticate. So, since then we figured it would be best of someone stayed behind and guarded it. _

_I yawned. It was getting late in the day and Blaze still hadn't shown up. I wasn't worried, though. He could more than hold his own. I yawned again, rolling over onto my back._

"_Damn, not you now…" The voiced growled from beyond the entrance of the cave. I flipped over and peeked outside the wide, craggy opening._

_It was Houndoom, much to my surprise. And he looked worse for the wear. He was cut up and bruised all over. He had a glare that made it look like he was trying to pierce through my heart with his gaze. Jeez, if looks could kill._

"_You took that blasted Nidorina away from me…" Houndoom continued, taking a shaky step forward. He was obviously not sound of mind. "Then, I thought I had one last chance. If I could get my claws on that damn son of yours…" My heart skipped a beat._

"_Shadow? What did you do with Shadow?" I demanded, holding my ground. Houndoom sounded like he was trying to chuckle, but it came out as a hoarse cough._

"_Hah! The boy and that little whore he's with knocked me off the side of the mountain." _

"_Who's he with!" Whoops. My maternal instinct kicked in before I realized I had more pressing matters. I made sure to tuck it away for later, though._

"_Bah, doesn't matter…they took away my last shot." Houndoom crept closer to me. He was less than a foot away now. I could smell blood and some thing very unpleasant on him. "But, now look who I've found. If I could bring you to them, maybe…maybe they'll take me back!" Houndoom snarled and pounced, catching me completely off guard. He grabbed me by the neck and tightened his jaw around it. I couldn't breathe. I tried to struggle, but it seemed that in this rage of his, Houndoom would be impossible to budge. Still, I fought against him. I kicked and scratched and whipped my tail at him, but it just made me more tired. Finally I stopped, exhausted. Houndoom grinned over his little victory._

_That is, until the orange streak crashed right into my captor, slamming him into the wall. Houndoom let out a shocked gasp and toppled over. He got up slowly and ran off with his tail between his legs. Cowards. Every one of 'em._

"_You alright, Christine?" Blaze asked. I felt my throat tenderly. Everything seemed to be in order._

"_Yeah, thanks to you." I nuzzled up against his side. A thought occurred. "You've saved me so many times, and I have yet to repay you." I smiled up at him, but he didn't seem to catch on. I sat up then knocked him onto his back with my front paws. I grinned slyly at him._

_Blaze mouthed a silent, "Oh," and returned the smile._

_He caught on._

_()()()()()()()()()()_

And thus I woke up from the nightmare early that next morning. The nightmare had haunted me for some time now. Houndoom's attack last night just confirmed my fears.

My children were in trouble. I had to return home, as soon as I could.

"Blaze, wake up." I nudged his side. I felt bad about waking him up again, especially considering how much he deserved to rest. I won't go into much detail, but the previous night's…er, _activities_…were tiring. On top of that, we had just settled down in our new home.

But we had to go. This place would still be here when we got back.

Blaze yawned and stretched, looking up at me with one eye. He smiled. "Still can't sleep, Christine?"

I shook my head. "We need to go back to Isabel's house. I'm afraid that the kits might be in danger." This seemed to wake Blaze up. He quickly got to his feet and began towards the entrance.

"Shall we go, then?" Ah, that was my Blaze. He'd do anything for me, without anything in return. That's why I love him.

()()()()()()()()()()

As it turns out, our dwelling was in the foothills just a bit north of Sam's house. The city was only about an hours' walk away. Talk about traveling in a circle, eh?

As we came over the last hill, we could see the outskirts of town and the front of Sam's house. But something was odd. There were a bunch of vehicles parked around the house. I looked at Blaze and he shrugged. We moved closer, trying to get a better view.

There were maybe 5 vehicles, 3 gray cars and two big gray vans, parked in an arc around the building. Some people in uniforms of the same color were walking around the perimeter of the house. One person in uniform was talking to another non-uniformed person. They seemed to be arguing.

Blaze and I moved closer still, until we were practically across the street. I couldn't believe my eyes. The person out front arguing with the uniformed man was a woman. But not just any woman. It was Isabel.

I gasped. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. The uniformed man was waving a clipboard in her face, but she kept pushing it aside. I couldn't see what was going on.

Suddenly, there appeared to be a big commotion because everyone turned and looked towards the far side of the house that we couldn't see. A bunch of uniformed men ran over to that side of the house, and Isabel practically threw herself on the clipboard man, begging. It was all so confusing. Then I noticed the logo on all the uniforms and cars.

It was Beyond's. I would recognize the logo anywhere. A big letter 'B' inside an eye. It looked a little varied; like they had changed it a bit to disguise it, but it wasn't enough to fool me. Whatever these guys were here for, it wasn't good. The clipboard man shouted an order and all the Beyond workers began to pile into the vehicles. One worker placed a large object in the back of one of the vans, making Isabel let out a cry. The clipboard man shook Isabel off his leg and got inside the lead car. One by one, the vehicles began to drive off.

"Blaze!" I shouted, beginning to run after the cars down the road. "It's Beyond! C'mon, we gotta get on!" Blaze and I ran after the last vehicle, the empty van, and once we were within range jumped up into the back unnoticed. I turned to Blaze and smiled. We were finally going to go to their headquarters!

As the entourage of vehicles trudged along the bumpy road, Blaze and I could only wonder what was in store for us when we arrived.


	5. Inside Beyond

It was not long before the vehicles shuddered to a stop. Before anyone bothered to look in the back of the van, Blaze and I quickly jumped out. The workers were busy moving something from the other van, though. Blaze and I ran off to the side of the road, hiding in a group of trees. I looked at where the cars stopped and gasped.

We had stopped at the peak of a hill with many, many uniformed people where walking around, performing various tasks. A large, multi-sectioned gray building was nestled in a hill with people walking in and out and about the grounds. The Beyond symbol was in plain sight on the front of the building. My jaw dropped in disbelief.

"The bastard was drawing us away from the headquarters!" I shouted. The Beyond headquarters was located right in the foothills behind the city! That damn Weavile had led us astray on purpose! He probably planned to lose us then circle back. Well, unfortunately for him, he never got the chance. Served him right. Blaze and I snuck through the trees around to the back of the building, being careful not to get caught.

The back of the building was about as exciting as the front. Someone walked out the back door holding a large bag. Blaze and I took our chance, darting through the door before it closed.

We found ourselves in a long hallway. I guess the only way I can describe it was…white. White walls, white floors, people in long white labcoats passing by in a hurry…just…white. The air was sterile and clean-smelling. It was unnerving. Careful to avoid being seen, Blaze and I crept down the hallway, sticking close to the wall. Every time someone walked by we would cringe and press ourselves against the wall, but everybody seemed to be too busy to notice a couple of Pokemon walking around. We walked down the hall, looking into rooms filled with horrible, twisted things. One room had all sorts of pitiful-looking monster-like hybrids. Another was full of Pokemon undergoing various tests, and yet another filled to the top with huge, steel cages. It renewed my fury against these people. How could they do these things?

"…does not seem to be reacting…" The voice almost made me jump. I crouched against the wall when I realized it was coming from the room in front of us. I poked my head through the door. A couple of whitecoats were gathered around a window, watching something on the other side. One of them was giving another one orders; that had been the voice I heard. "…for hormonal imbalances- in both of them." One whitecoat nodded and turned to head out the door. I quickly backed up.

"C'mon! A scientist's coming!" I hissed at Blaze, pulling him around a corner. I snuck a glance around the corner we just turned to make sure the coast was clear, then turned around. We were in a yet another white hallway. It seemed this one branched off the one we just came from. Seriously, how boring can this place get? But I wasn't concentrating on the horrible color choice.

I was looking right up at the whitecoat we bumped into, who was staring back at us with an emotion on his face that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Needless to say, the three of us were frozen to our spots.

"Run." Blaze said coolly. He dived between the man's legs and took off down the hallway with me in pursuit. "In here!" he called, turning into the fist open doorway we found. Inside the room, I crouched against the wall near the door way and waited to hear the man run past us and then his footsteps fade away. I sighed.

"That was a close one. C'mon, Blaze, we need to hurry." I poked my head out into the hallway, just to be sure, then turned around again. "Blaze, are you coming or wha-" I stopped. Blaze was walking backwards into the room, trying to take everything in. Large glass pods filled with some unknown liquid were lined against the far end of the room, some occupied, some not. Shelves upon shelves of strange bottles and jars covered the walls, and numerous desks held more test tubes, machinery, and objects that looked suspiciously like organs. Charts and drawings and books were scattered all over the room, and a large diagram with the words 'The Pokemon Genome' running across the top took up an entire wall. It was covered with lines and words and drawings and equations and who knows what else. I walked up to inspect it closer. Pokemon genome…it must mean some sort of DNA-related work goes on here! I turned and looked at the tubes along the wall. They were filled to the brim with a strange orange liquid, and contained some creatures that looked like they didn't belong in existence, much less the world outside. I couldn't help but pity them. That's when it dawned on me. Genomes, large tubes, body parts, notes and experiments…everything was suddenly hauntingly familiar.

This was almost identical to the room where I had been turned into an Eevee.

"Blaze…let's go." I muttered, backing towards the door.

"Why?" he asked, turning to look at me.

"This place…this is like where I was turned into an Eevee…" I saw Blaze's eyes widen. He took another quick look around, then back over to me.

"Christine, look out!" he called. I turned around, but not quickly enough to stop myself from backing into one of the many desks. Something glass crashed to the floor, breaking and sending its contents spilling all over the tiles. I cringed, not moving for several long moments before I was absolutely sure no one would come running. The odd blue liquid that had spilled from the jar was spreading along the floor; it had almost reached my feet. I took a step back and noticed that a book had fallen from the desk, too. I was going to head back over to Blaze by the door, but something in the book caught me eye.

The words, 'Transformation', 'Human', and 'Success' were all written in the book. Interested, I walked over to it, careful not to step in the puddle, and read what was on the page. I gasped.

"Blaze, listen to this." I said, and began to read the page from the book aloud.

_Day 34_

_We have had a rare amount of success with these subjects. Very few died from the treatment, and the rest have successful been turned into humans. There is no distinction and no side effects between their Pokemon shape and their human shape, except that the human shape tends to share characteristics with their Pokemon forms. I have prepared a sample of the treatment and will present it to the Executives in a few days' time._

_Day 35_

_We have yet had continued success, but unfortunately, there have been a few setbacks. The humanshaped Pokemon show that they have the ability to use basic human abilities (reading, writing, reasoning, etc.), but at the cost of their basic Pokemon traits, such as understanding the language they speak, and being able to use attack powers. This could be good, because it shows that we are inching closer to our goal. However, we have just found that the effects of the humanshape are not-_

That's where the journal ended. It looked like perhaps a page or two had been taken out. I looked up at Blaze, who was listening intently with his eyes closed in concentration.

"Do you know what this means?" I asked quietly. He nodded.

"You can be a human again, Christine. This is what you've always wanted." He smiled at me, nodding. I returned the smile, but it quickly faded.

"But, wait…" I said in realization. I looked up at Blaze. "If I become human again…we can't be together." I opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. Apparently he just figured it out, too.

"…It would be selfish for me to ask you not to do it. I couldn't ask you not to." he said finally.

"But, I don't want to lose you!" Blaze furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

"Then, perhaps…" he said slowly, deliberately, "Perhaps…I will take the treatment, too." He opened his eyes. I tried to read his face, but I couldn't get anything. He would sacrifice so much…for me?

I shook my head. "No, no…I could never ask _you_ to do _that_. That would be unfair. You shouldn't have to sacrifice so much…" It was Blaze's turn to shake his head.

"Anything is worth giving up if it means I can be with you." I opened my mouth to protest, but he leaned forward and kissed me. After we parted once again, I nodded.

"Alright, if you're absolutely sure." Blaze nodded. I turned towards the pool of liquid on the floor. This was probably that treatment the whitecoat was talking about. I cringed at the thought of one of those scientists taking a big needle and injecting it right into you. I shivered. "Here goes nothing…" I leaned down and drank some of the fluid up.

I almost gagged. It was the foulest tasting thing I had ever drunk. It burned my throat as it went down. I was panting heavily afterwards. I looked over at Blaze and saw that he was doing the same. My vision started getting hazy. My head was reeling and before I knew it, everything went black.

()()()()()()()()()()

. . ._I'm alone._

. . ._why am I so alone?_

Because you wished it.

_I don't want to be alone! I need my friends, my family…_

Then you are not.

_But…there's no one else here!_

Well, maybe you aren't looking hard enough.

_Looking hard enough? _

_There was no answer. I was alone again. Why?_

"…_Mom?" It was Shadow! I recognized his voice! I cracked open my eyes and slowly got onto all fours._

"_Shadow? Where are you?" I asked, searching around for him. I couldn't tell where I was. In fact, I couldn't tell what time it was, either. It wasn't dark, but it really wasn't light. I think I was outside. There were trees and I could hear birds, but the air seemed…stale, almost. It was odd._

"_Mom?" Shadow asked again. He was standing behind me. I turned to greet him. I was relieved to hear his voice, but when I turned and saw him, I almost screamed._

_He looked like he had just come from some horror movie. He was missing an eye and a leg. One of his ears had a huge chuck missing from it; the other was almost gone completely. His fur was matted with what I could tell by the scent was blood. One of his back legs was…off. It was a completely different color and shape, as if it had belonged to someone else at one point. He was covered all over with stitches and cuts and bruises._

"_Mom…" he said. His voice was croaky and hoarse, as if he hadn't talked in a long time. "I thought you loved me, Mom…"_

"_Shadow, I do love you!" I took a step towards him. _

"_Then why did you let them do this to me?" he asked._

"_Shadow, I didn't! Please forgive me!" I ran towards him, but he dissipated into sand and was blown away by an unknown wind. "…Shadow?" I felt like crying, but I couldn't. I just…was unable to. I sighed and turned around. Blaze was sitting before me, looking down at my face._

"_Christine…"_

"_Oh, Blaze, I'm so glad to see you!" I ran to him, but he stopped me about a foot away from him._

"_Christine, I'm leaving." I stopped dead in my tracks. Had I heard him right?_

"_Wha…what?" I plopped down on the ground, but quickly pulled myself together._

"_I only wanted one thing from you, Christine. Now that I've had it, I have no more reason to be here with you." He got up and began slowly walking away._

"_Blaze! Wait!" I wanted to run after him, but my legs wouldn't move. I wanted to call out again, by my voice betrayed me. I wanted to cry, but no tears would come. All I could do was sit and feel my world come crashing down around me._

I awoke with a start. Gasping, I put a hand to my head. It was throbbing. I wiped my forehead and sat up, breathing heavily. I stared down at the floor, concentrating on my…hands. My hands. Human hands.

I got up quickly. On two feet! I inspected myself, not believing that it worked! I found a mirror on one of the walls and looked at myself in it.

I almost looked just like I had before I became a Pokemon. I was a bit taller, though, and a bit slimmer than I remembered. I had very light colored skin, and my hair, strangely enough, was long and…light blue, almost. Oh, and my eyes where a steely blue color, instead of their usual hazel. That was odd. Well, the journal _did_ say that we would retain some of our Pokemon characteristics. I guess that's what changed.

Oh, that's right! Blaze would be here, too! I looked around and found him still unconscious on the floor not too far away. He was tall, a bit taller than me. His skin was deeply tanned, and his hair was wild and bright red, almost reminiscent of fire. He shook his head, finally coming to. He looked over his shoulder and saw me. He scrambled into his back and jumping to his feet in a panic. He looked at me warily, his body tense.

"Christine?" he asked hesitantly. I nodded. He immediately loosened up. "Wow…so it really worked." He said, looking at his hands in awe. I was just as shocked as he was. Looking him over, I suddenly came to an embarrassing realization. He must've noticed me blushing.

"What is it?" he asked. He traced my line of sight downwards until he understood what I was blushing about. We were both completely naked.

"We should get some clothes." He said quickly.

"Yeah." I agreed.


	6. A New Beginning

**A/N: Wow, I had no idea that there was another Pokemon fic called 'Beyond the Horizon'! My bad!**

**Sorry about the wait to update this story. This may be the last update I'll make for a while (I'm grounded, bleah.), but when I do update, hopefully I'll have a **_**lot**_** to post. So, enjoy, and don't wait up for the next installment!**

"Why, Blaze? Why here, of all places?"

"Go on. Just ring the doorbell."

I hesitated. "Oh, fine." I sighed, pressing the button harder than I should have.

Luckily enough for us, there was a cabinet in the room with some spare labcoats that we could wear. We tiptoes from the room and down the hallway, moving as quickly and quietly as we possibly could. Even though we had some labcoats with us, wearing nothing else, being barefoot and looking lost was a very easy way to stick out. Fortune seemed to be on our side, though, as we didn't run into anyone else as we made our way out through the front door.

As soon as we stepped out the door, we hit the ground running, so to speak. It was getting on in the day; we must've been out for a few hours, at least. I'm surprised no one found us. Blaze and I ran and we didn't stop running until we reached the city once again.

"That was close." Blaze muttered, stumbling a bit. Not being used to walking on two legs, he was a bit shaky and moved sort of awkwardly. I'm sure we were in interesting pair. I know we got a lot of strange looks.

"We need somewhere to go." I said, looking around and shivering. It was cold out today; the weather was just transitioning from summer to autumn. "Any ideas?"

"Well, there is _one_ place I can think of."

"Where?" I looked at Blaze. He just stared right back. The realization suddenly hit. "Oh, no. We are _not_ going there. Under no circumstances will we stay _there_!"

()()()()()()()()()()

So, here we were. We waited for a moment, hearing the footsteps on the other side of the door draw nearer. My anxiety finally reached its peak. What would happen when and if we got inside? Would we be welcomed? Would they toss us out? I just wanted to run off in the opposite direction. I turned to Blaze; he gave me a nod of encouragement.

The door opened.

"Hello, there!" Isabel smiled, then got a good look at us. She eyed us up and down. "How…how can I help…you?"

()()()()()()()()()()

"So you say you were mugged?" Isabel asked. She had let us inside after we explained we needed help. She is so kind; I'm not sure why I was worried. Or still am.

"Yes, ma'am." Blaze nodded. I applauded him for coming up with a story like that so quickly. "This was the closest house. I'm sorry if we're being intrusive…"

"Oh, no, of course not!" Isabel said quickly. "I'm just glad you weren't hurt. You said they took everything?" Blaze and I nodded. I looked around. Boy, this place brought back memories. It looked smaller. I almost smiled. A small purple Pokemon ran up to me and looked up at me with big, innocent eyes. I smiled at it. "Oh, I'm Isabel, by the way."

"I'm Christine." I said, smiling.

"And I'm Bla-" I shot him a look. "Er, that is, my name is…Blaire. Yeah, Blaire." He grinned at me sheepishly. I just sighed and shook my head.

"Well, nice to meet the two of you, considering the circumstances."

"Thank you for your kindness." Blaze said, standing up. "Well, we'll be going now…"

"Wait! Do you have anywhere to stay?" Isabel asked. Blaze looked down at me. I shook my head. "Then…you could stay with us for a while."

"Oh, we really couldn't." Blaze said. I've never seen this side of him before. He was a very smooth, persuasive talker. I just hope he never uses his powers for evil.

"Oh, I insist. It wouldn't be a problem." Isabel's smile faltered a bit. "We've had plenty of room since…" She sighed.

"Since what?" I asked, curious. Isabel sniffed.

"Oh, we had several Pokemon living here, once. But a year ago two of them ran off." Blaze looked at me. I shrugged.

"I'm so sorry." I said. I waited for a moment, then dared to ask, "How would you react if they ever came back? I mean, I'd probably be pretty mad."

Isabel shook her head. "No…I could never really be mad at Cici and Blaze…" I practically heaved a sigh of relief. I opened my mouth to say something, but Isabel continued. "But the way they ran off like that…Cici's children would probably be angry, and I'm not sure how I could forgive them so easily for worrying us all like that." She sighed.

"Oh. I see." I muttered. Blaze looked at me and shook his head; we both mentally agreed to avoid telling Isabel the truth, at least for now.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh! Umm…no reason." I grinned nervously and looked down when I felt a small hand on my knee. The purple Pokemon smiled up at me. It looked comically like a monkey, and I would have assumed it was an Aipom if it hadn't been for the fact that it had _two_ tails. The Aipom-esque Pokemon crawled up onto my lap and smiled. Isabel giggled.

"Looks like Ambipom likes you." Isabel said. I nodded. That made sense. Ambipom was the evolved from of Aipom. It was a cute little guy; the way it was grinning at me made it seem like it knew me.

A disturbing thought occurred.

"Umm…where did you meet this Ambipom? I hear they're rare." I said hesitantly. I was hoping that my assumptions were false.

"Oh, she was just an Aipom when we rescued her." Isabel said cheerfully. My heart skipped a beat. "She had been abandoned by her trainer. We brought her home from the Pokemon Center just a little while after Cici and Blaze ran away."

I was beginning to panic. Somehow the Ambipom recognized me. If Isabel caught on, she may be able to figure out who we are. Slowly, I looked up at Blaze. His body was tensed; he must've realized what I getting at. I decided to change the subject quickly so Isabel didn't have a chance to dwell on it for too long.

"So, you say that this Cici had children?"

Isabel nodded. "Yes, Rose and Shadow. Except…it's just Rose right now, I suppose."

"What!" I found I had jumped to my feet. Very smooth. I tried to cover it up by crossing over to where Isabel was standing. "I mean, what…happened? To Shadow, I mean."

Isabel's head hung low. She sniffled. "Some company took him away just today claiming he belonged to them." Isabel wiped some tears from her eyes. "But I'm sure you'd rather not listen to my problems. Come with me, I'll get you some clothes."

()()()()()()()()()()

Isabel took us upstairs and took me into her room and showed Blaze some of Sam's old clothes.

I ended up picking out a long dark blue dress that ended in a whitish frill around my ankles. After thanking Isabel (it felt odd being able to _communicate_ with her) once again, I stepped outside and saw that Blaze had chosen an orange shirt with black horizontal lines on the back and a dark pair of jeans.

Yes, I am quite aware of the irony. Moving on.

"Wow." Blaze muttered. "You look…wow." I giggled.

"You look pretty wow yourself." I smiled. Isabel then took us back downstairs to the guest bedroom. Boy, did _that_ bring back memories.

"Are you two alright with sharing a bed? Because if you're not, we can probably fix the couch out in the living-"

"It's fine." I interrupted her. "We're married. A single bed will be fine." Isabel smiled.

"Alright, then, I'll just let you to get used to the house. I've got to go pick up my dad." She gave us both a quick nod, then left. Blaze and I collapsed onto the bed, thankful to not be sleeping on the ground.

"Married?" Blaze chuckled. "Is that what we are now?"

I punched him playfully on the arm. "We're as close to it as two Pokemon can be." We both laughed.

"You know, we're not Pokemon anymore." Blaze pointed out. I nodded.

"Yeah…" It was great being a human, but…it's hard to explain. It's like there was a little nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me that something wasn't right. And somewhere deep in my heart, I believed it.

()()()()()()()()()()

Blaze and I slept well that night. Well, at least Blaze did. I mean, it was amazing being on a real bed for a change, but now that our initial worries were aside, I couldn't get Isabel's words out of my head.

"_Some company took him away just today claiming he belonged to them." _Those were her words. Shadow had been taken away by Beyond. If I could take any of my dreams as being true, horrible things were going to happen to him there. I tossed and I turned all night, but no matter how I tried, his disappointed face would not leave my consciousness.

Somehow I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake by Blaze.

"Breakfast." He said simply, smiling.

I don't think I've ever been happier to eat food that hadn't been caught just ten minutes earlier. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, toast with jam and peanut butter, bacon, and orange juice all lined the table. I tried my hardest to keep myself from going completely wild over the meal. Blaze and I were supposed to be a normal couple, after all. But I guess we still showed signs by the way we both ate.

"Wow, when was the last time you had something to eat?" Isabel giggled, obviously amused.

I swallowed the large hunk of pancake I had just devoured. "Far too long." I grinned. Isabel smiled again.

"Well, help yourselves. There's plenty more."

Sam had left early that morning on a business meeting, so after helping clean up our breakfast Blaze and I told Isabel we were going to look around town while she was away at work. She waved goodbye and headed out the door. Blaze and I sighed.

"Let's get to work." I said. Blaze nodded. We donned the labcoats that we had stolen and headed to the Beyond HQ. We knew what we were risking by heading back there, but we had to scout out the place. We had to get a plan. We had to save Shadow.

()()()()()()()()()()

Not surprisingly, there was a guard posted out in front of the building today. Walking up to him, he stood up from his chair and placed a hand on the gun on his belt.

"I.D., please." He said. I looked to Blaze who shrugged. I sighed, and leaned forward.

"Ooh, I think I left my I.D. in the, er…lab. Could I go get it, then come back?" I put on an innocent face. The guard, however, looked unfazed.

"Sorry, ma'am. Can't let anybody in without an I.D." He turned to go back to his seat.

"Wait!" I said. He stopped and looked at me over his shoulder. I hesitated, looking over to Blaze for support. He just waved his hands as if to say, 'Go for it!'. I sighed, turning back to the guard. I took a deep breath and grabbed onto the man's collar. I whispered into his ear in the most lustful tone I could muster. "Oh, but I _really_ need to get in, so if you could kindly…"

I didn't even have to finish the sentence. The guard's eyes bugged and his hand flew to the small button beside him. I heard a buzz as the door unlocked. I nodded and let go of the man's collar, sending him crashing to the ground. Inside, I chuckled, but Blaze didn't look as happy.

"I didn't mean for you to go and do something like _that_." he muttered.

"Hey," I chuckled, "Just playing my strengths." I think I saw him smirk, but he just as quickly hid it.

The building was larger than I originally thought. It was at least six floors, and all the different hallways can get very confusing, especially when everything is all a shade of white or grey. Despite that bland color scheme, this place was very high-tech. All the equipment we saw was very state-of-the-art. We passed several other workers in the twisting corridors, but with the labcoats and clothes underneath them, no one gave us a second glance. We were free to explore to our heart's content.

Unfortunately, we had no idea where to look for Shadow. He could be anywhere! We didn't want to ask anybody, either, as that could give us away. So we spent several hours searching each unlocked room of each floor, but with little success. Some of the things we saw in those rooms, though….just, aggh…it really kindle my flame. I hated these whitecoats more and more with every step I took in this hellhole.

As we were reaching the end of our search, it was becoming even more glaringly obvious that we would need a way to get into the locked rooms.

"Hold on." Blaze muttered, perking his ears (some things never change, even when he's a different species). "I hear voices." I heard them, too. We quickly turned around, pretending to be busy. Luckily, the whitecoats passed us by without a second thought. Even more luckily, however, is what we overheard them talking about.

"No, the Umbreon is still unreceptive." One was saying, reading a list off a chart he was holding. "Would you like to perform another test? He's in his holding cell right this minute."

"Are we sure it's the correct one?" One who seemed to be the leader asked, ignoring his question. She was somewhat tall, with light skin and bleach blond hair tied up in a professional-looking ponytail to match the professional-looking suitcoat and skirt beneath her white labcoat. Her words were quick and precise, and her words seemed to have some sort of power over her two colleagues. Altogether, she was pretty intimidating.

Or it may have just been me. I was always put off by executive-looking people.

"Absolutely." The last whitecoat muttered. "He's definitely the offspring of the Human-morph." My eye's widened. I looked at Blaze, who nodded and put a finger to his lips.

The woman nodded. "Good. I would hate to have this go wrong. Because if it does…" She glared at the two beside her, sliding her finger across her throat. "Head will roll."

The two whitecoats nodded and agreed nervously until they were out of earshot.

()()()()()()()()()()

A holding cell? That was beyond cruel, if you don't mind the play on words.

Blaze and I decided we'd make a plan tonight and try to free him tomorrow. We had seen plenty of the building, and we wanted to get back to Sam's house before Isabel got worried. On our way out, I snatched a ring of keys from the guard. They would come in handy. We took off our labcoats after we were a safe distance from the building. After all, there was no need to make Isabel suspicious.

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. Blaze and I concocted our scheme, while Isabel made a large, wonderful dinner for us and introduced us to Penny, who was apparently the companion of Shadow that Houndoom had referred to. She didn't seem to fit his description at all; in fact, she was pretty nice, if not a little antisocial.

Isabel went off to bed early, giving Blaze and I more time to plan. I started getting tired not long after, though, so Blaze decided to call it a day.

_I was outside a large room. On the other side of the large double doors, a brilliant light flashed through the windows. Squinting so I could get a better look, I looked in through the window. I was trying to figure out what was going on, with all the whitecoated figures standing around in a semicircle, when I heard an ear shattering scream. The whitecoats moved out of their formation, and I saw…Shadow!_

_He was chained roughly to the table, thrashing all about in futile effort to free himself. One of the whitecoats, the woman from earlier that day, raised a hand. Shadow seemed to see something that I didn't and squirmed faster. It was only when the woman brought the object down into Shadow's exposed chest that I saw what it was._

_A scalpel. A long, silver, medical scalpel. Shadow cried in pain as the woman rammed the sharp object into his chest and drew a straight line from his collarbone right down to his stomach. I pounded on the door, but it was bolted shut. I screamed at the whitecoats to let Shadow go, but my cries went unheard. I ducked down again behind the door and covered my ears with my hands, trying to drown out Shadow's screams._

I sat up quickly, breathing hard and sweating bullets.

"Christine, what's wrong?" Blaze asked sleepily, cracking one eye open.

"Blaze, we have to go back. _Now_." I said.

As quietly as we could, we got dressed and pulled on our labcoats. While Blaze quickly left a note for Isabel, I crept over to where Penny was sleeping.

"Penny…wake up…"I murmured, gently shaking her awake. She yawned and looked up at me. "Do you want to help us save Shadow?" She looked surprised by my question for a moment, but quickly nodded. I smiled and scooped her up into my arms. At nodded to Blaze.

"Let's go."

()()()()()()()()()()

Sneaking in wasn't hard to do. I mean, the guard was _asleep_. How much are they paying this guy?

I can guarantee they aren't getting their money's worth.

So we snuck inside, but to our dismay we found that there seemed to be two shifts of whitecoats working, which made me wonder if they were really human or if they were some kind of strange robots. Regardless, it made it harder to look around for Shadow and look inconspicuous. Armed with the ring of keys I had swiped earlier (had he _noticed_ yet?), we began our search.

Honestly, we didn't fare much better this time around than last time. It appeared that every door could be unlocked by the same key, to my relief, but most of the locked rooms were more uninteresting than the locked ones; offices, staff lounges and the like.

"Bah, another office." I grumbled, shutting the door behind me. We had made our way up to the third floor. I leaned up against the wall. "We're never going to find him at this rate."

Blaze shook his head. "Don't say that. We just have to think outside the box. If Shadow's not in any of these rooms, then where could he be?" I sighed. I admired him for staying positive, but I knew that he was just as annoyed as I was.

I looked up from where I was and noticed a window. I hadn't noticed it while we were searching earlier because, well, what's so weird about a window? But now that I saw it, something was a little off. I moved over to it and looked outside.

It was a wide window that looked down over a large section of the building with a glass roof. From this vantage point, you could see into the room there perfectly. And inside the room was-

"Shadow!" I cried. Blaze looked up and ran over to the window.

"You're right!" Blaze said excitedly. "And he looks relatively unhurt…you see? Nothing to worry about." I nodded, sighing with relief. If something had happened to him, there was no way I could forgive myself. I looked back into the room. He was standing inside what appeared to be a big field, and he looked like he was talking to someone. A Flareon.

Huh. That was odd. The Flareon kept stepping closer, and with each step Shadow took one back.

"What is Shadow…_oh my God!_" In that instant Shadow did something completely unspeakable. He jumped forward, knocked the Flareon over, and…_mounted_ her. I turned away from the window with my face in my hands. I refused to believe that Shadow would do t someone else…that same that happened to me! There was no way. I looked at Blaze. He was also looking away, shaking his head in disappointment.

I dared a look back into the room. A whitecoat was carrying Shadow and the Flareon away.

"C'mon, Blaze. Let's follow them." I said, turning and heading in the same direction as the whitecoat. The whitecoat passed by the stairwell just as Blaze and I descended to the first floor. Careful not to draw suspicion, we followed the man to a door, which he opened and disappeared into; coming out a few minutes later emptyhanded. I nodded to Blaze and we crept forward. I opened the door with my keys and swung it open slowly.

We were inside an enormous room filled with cages, running in parallel rows along the walls and stacked one on top of another until they reached the ceiling. A forklift-type machine sat immobile nearby. It was cold, which means it hadn't been used recently, which in turn meant Shadow must've been on the ground level. Perfect. Blaze, who was holding Penny in his arms, set her down.

"Can you find Shadow for us?" he whispered to her. Penny nodded and lifted her nose to the air. After a brief moment she began to run down the length of the room. Roughly halfway she stopped in front of a cage. While Blaze scooped up Penny again, I peeked inside. Shadow was curled up into a ball in the corner. I stuck the master key into his cage's padlock, slid the lock off, and quietly opened the door. Shadow's head poked up. When he caught sight of me, he began growling, his lip curling up over some pretty sharp-looking teeth. I put a finger to my lips, hoping he would get the picture.

It seemed as if he did because he got quiet and stepped outside his cage. Penny hopped out of Blaze's arms and landed by Shadow. The two of them exchanged some words (I really missed being able to understand Pokespeak), then Penny looked up at me and nodded. Blaze and I both did the same and began towards the door, eager to get out of here. There was no more need to be here. All we had to do was sneak back out and slip back out through the entrance. Piece of cake.

Or it should have been, if it had not been for the fact that as soon as we reached the door, a deafening alarm went off. Any hopes that no one would hear the alarm were crushed as we heard the cry echoing from the other side of the door.

"Dammit." Blaze swore, looking around. I turned around. Shadow was running further into the rows of cages; Penny seemed to be shouting something to him along with a new Pokemon that had materialized beside her.

I heard whitecoats approaching from the other side of the door. "Penny!" I called. I wasn't afraid of anyone hearing me now, the alarm was too loud. "Get Shadow to come here!" Penny nodded and called again, but still no Shadow. She looked back at me with an alarmed face. I had a decision to make, and I had to make it fast.

I looked over to Blaze, who was trying to prevent the whitecoats from getting in. I suddenly had an idea. "Penny!" I called, catching the Dark Pokemon's attention. "We'll distract the scientists and meet up with you outside!" Penny nodded and turned her attention back to Shadow. I turned to Blaze. "Double over." I muttered.

"What?" he asked, disbelieving. I elbowed him in the stomach, making him do as I had told him. I wrapped one of his arms around my neck and clutched my shoulder, supporting Blaze up as I opened the door with my free hand.

Outside was what can only be described as a mob of very surprised looking whitecoats. They all stopped shouting for a moment to stare in confusion at the two fellow scientists who seemed to be hurt and had just emerged from the room that had been broken into. It didn't take them long to jump to conclusions.

"They went _that_ way!" I shouted, pointing down a random hallway. The mob of whitecoats all nodded and ran down the hallway I pointed to. Blaze chuckled, straightening himself up.

"I have to admit, _that_ was clever." I smiled at him.

"Alright, let's haul." We ran the opposite way, taking a longer route. It took more time, but there were fewer people this way. By the time we reached the door, we heard angry shouts. It seemed as though the whitecoats realized they had been tricked. Blaze and I nodded at each other and pushed open the doors to freedom.

…except they were locked. We slammed our weight against the doors, but they had been bolted shut from the outside. There was a small opening in the door designed to let Pokemon in and out, but it wasn't big enough for us to squeeze through. I looked around. There were no other hallways branching off the one we were in.

It was a dead end. Soon to be emphasis on _dead_.

"Oh, what are we going to do?" I mumbled, beginning to panic. I was not going to let myself get this far just to lose! I slumped to the ground, back against the wall, and put my head in my hands.

Blaze had been muttering to himself up until now. He looked down at me and gasped. "Christine…you…you're hands!" I glanced up at him. Was it just me, or was his face getting…longer?

"Blaze, what's up with your nose?" I went to point to his face, but found I couldn't move my fingers. I looked down at my hands.

They weren't there. In their place was a pair of paws.

"What the-" That's all I got out before the transformation kept me from saying anymore. Right before my eyes, Blaze was shrinking and turning more dog-like. Once again, as if by miracle, we were becoming ourselves again.

After it was all over, we were speechless for several minutes, looking ourselves over.

"But…how?" I wondered aloud.

Blaze's eyes lit up. "Do you remember the journal? It said something like, 'The effects of the transformation are only-' and then it cuts off. What if said… '…are only temporary'?" I gasped. It all made sense. In just in the nick of time, too.

"We're Pokemon again…" I mumbled, looking myself over. Our clothes had been discarded during our transformation. They had almost been completely ripped anyways, so returning them didn't matter at this point.

"Yeah…" Blaze nodded. "Christine, I-" Blaze was interrupted by an angry shout.

Oh, that's right. We're two Pokemon in a research facility. Now would be a good time to leave. Blaze and I turned and squeezed through the Pokemon Door into the world outside, into the new sun of the early morning.

Once we were a safe distance from the building, Blaze and I stopped to catch our breath. We had run across the ground into the surrounding forest, away from the city. We hadn't been planning to go back anyways except to drop off Shadow and Penny.

"Think they made it out okay?" I asked after I had air back in my lungs. I took one last glance at the chaotic scene behind us. If only we had the chance to break a few things on our way out.

Blaze nodded. "Of course they did. He _is_ your son, after all." I chuckled. After a moment, Blaze looked at me, into my eyes. "Christine, I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to be a human again."

I shook my head, grinning at him. "I think I prefer things this way." Blaze returned the smile.

"So, where to?"

I looked out at the brilliant red sun rising over the foothills. It was so inviting, offering promises of a new start somewhere beyond the horizon.

"Wherever life takes us, Blaze. Wherever life takes us."

()()()()()()()()()()

It was only several hours later that Isabel woke up and found the note Blaze and Christine had left behind. Picking it up, she read it aloud.

_Dear Isabel,_

_We're truly sorry we had to leave on such short notice but we have many things we need to take care of._ _We borrowed Penny, just for a bit, so we could go rescue Shadow. They should be back by the time you are reading this. We can't thank you enough for your hospitality. We would love to say that we will be back soon, but I don't think that our current situation will allow us to return. _

_We're sorry that we made you worry and hope that you could find it in yourself to forgive us. Please tell Shadow and Rose that I am sorry and that I love the two of them more than anything._

_Until next time,_

_Cici and Blaze_

Isabel read and reread the letter. It was them. They had returned home after so long. And she hadn't even realized it was them.

Isabel sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. _Until next time,_ she thought sadly, _and I promise next time I will be ready for you._


	7. Surprise in Geothera

**A/N: There are not enough words in the English language that can adequately describe how sorry I am for the delay. So, instead of boring you all with an apology, I'm going to skip all that and get right to the story. Enjoy!**

Blaze and I ran through the forests and hills behind the Beyond building and we didn't stop until we had reached the base of the Georie mountain range. I remembered from a map that the mountains ran to the Clearspring River and beyond all the way to the opposite coast. Looking up at their graceful peaks reaching up towards the sky, I knew they would be our only protection for the time being.

"Where to?" Blaze asked as we sat down to rest. I sighed and sat down next to him.

"Somewhere safe." I said, perking my ears. The sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance. "Across the river. Beyond should have a hard time finding us in the Northern Region." Blaze nodded. After a quick breather, we got up and began to trudge in silence along the beaten path through the mountains.

()()()()()()()()()()

A few hours later we sat down to catch our breath again. I was having a bit of a hard time hiking, but Blaze was kind enough to take frequent rests with me. He suggested several times that we stop for the day, but the sound of rushing water was growing louder and I didn't want to quit now. Blaze sat up and gazed at the craggy hills, waiting for me. I got up and smiled at him, and we continued on our way. We walked in awkward silence, unsure of what to say.

"Did you hear that?" Blaze broke the silence, coming to a halt and listening in all directions.

"What? The river?"

"No," Blaze shook his head, "listen." I perked my own ears, trying to catch the sound Blaze had heard. All I heard was the crash of the rushing water and wind rustling the autumn leaves. Wait. There it was; faint, but definitely there. An odd noise that I couldn't quite identify. It seemed to follow us; when we moved, it moved. When we stopped, it stopped.

"C-come out, whoever you are." I said nervously, glancing around. The object moved again, but this time it was closer. It was louder and constant, like...like the beating of wings.

"Ahem." The voice came from above. Blaze and I both whipped around, not prepared for the sound. To my surprise, it wasn't a bird as I had initially thought. It was a tall humanoid Pokemon with a brown body and a wild mane of white hair. It had a long nose and its hands were ended with long leaves, which I noticed made the loud _WHOOSH_ing sound that I had mistaken for wings. The Pokemon jumped down from the tree and brushed himself off.

"Who are you?" Blaze demanded, crouching into an offensive position. The odd Pokemon chuckled, waving its leaf-hand.

"Shiftry." The Pokemon bowed low, looking us straight in the eye. "Charmed, I'm sure." He stood up and glanced between the two of us, smiling pleasantly. He seemed relatively harmless; I lowered my guard a little.

"Why are you here, Shiftry?" I asked slowly, relaxing a bit ore but still not taking my eyes off him.

"Well, why are you here? I'm sure you'll find our reasons aren't too different." He smiled again. He had a strange accent that I couldn't place; it was smooth and pleasant to listen to, probably from somewhere out to the east.

"We need to cross the river." I said, relaxing. I mean, there were two of us and only one of him, unless of course there was more of him hidden among the trees. "Why were you following us?"

"Can't be too careful, right?" he answered quickly, chuckling. "I'm new around here. Don't know who to trust now, eh?" He must have found this funny because he burst out laughing a deep, hearty laugh. It was almost contagious. I chuckled, looking over at Blaze. He was still tense; his yellow eyes still glaring daggers at the friendly Pokemon in front of us.

"Most people around here are friendly, Shiftry." Blaze growled. "As long as you avoid the Dark Gang." He spat out the last words, still glaring at Shiftry. In an instant Shiftry's smile disappeared. He looked at me, then at Blaze, then back to me.

"Your bloke here needs to lighten up, eh?" He gave me a weak smile. "Not everyone you meet is out to get you, you-" Blaze growled fiercely at him.

"Don't give us any of that _shit_." Blaze hissed. Heat was emanating from him and I could practically hear the fire crackling inside him. Shiftry frowned, taking a step back.

"Oh, bugger." He mumbled. "Couldn't have made it easy, could you?" He snarled at Blaze. I almost couldn't believe it was he who had said it. His personality did a complete 180! "And to think I considered letting you pass, eh chap?" He pointed his hands out at us, sending a flurry of leaves shooting from his leafy fingertips. Blaze leapt out of the way but I was taken off guard and took the brunt of the attack. Surprisingly, the leaves were razor sharp cut easily. I winced and jumped off to the side, behind a tree. I heard Blaze shout something to me, but I couldn't understand what he said.

As I sat there catching my breath, I felt something sharp jam itself hard into my back. I twisted away and saw Shiftry's face beaming down at me from the tree. In his hands was a long, pointed stick. "You can't hide from me, poppet. The trees are my domain." He chuckled and disappeared back into the foliage. I looked around my and, wouldn't you know it, Shiftry has sent us right in the middle of a grove of trees.

"Blaze! Blaze!" I called, dashing through the trees. Great, he'd gone and disappeared. Far behind us was a clearing. In front of us was the river. Somewhere in this large mass of trees was a Dark Gangster, probably out to capture or even kill us. I realized we didn't have much of a choice. I had to find Blaze and we had to either choose forward or back.

"Christine!" I heard Blaze calling from behind me. I had completely lost all sense of direction in this tangle of trees, so all I could do was follow his voice.

"Blaze, where are you?" I called. I heard a rustle in the trees in front of me and rolled off to the side, but it turned out to be a group of birds. "Blaze?"

"Right here, Christine!" Blaze rounded a group of trees, stopping in front of me. "Let's go." He took off again with me following him. I had been on the move at full speed for some time now and my old wounds were beginning to take their toll. It was harder to catch my breath and a burning feeling was rising in my chest.

"Blaze!" I shouted hoarsely. Blaze must not have heard me because he kept on running, slowly getting father away. I had to stop for a moment to regain my composure. I sat there and could no longer hear Blaze; the only sound to be heard was my own wheezing. I tried calling out to Blaze again, but he was out of earshot. I sighed and decided I would rest for a moment then go back after him.

"Christine?" I heard a few moments later. There was rustling in the trees before me. I stood up cautiously.

"Blaze?" I asked, peering around the trees. I wasn't prepared for the sudden rustle behind me.

"Not quite." Before I got a chance to turn around, a sharp pain ran across my back from one shoulder to the other. I cried out and tried to move, but found I was pinned to a tree. I felt a hand grab my chin and gently turn my head. It was Shiftry. "Go ahead and scream, poppet. You'll make wonderful bait."

I realized what had happened. He had caught me off guard and rammed his long stick through my shoulders, which stuck me against the tree. He grinned and twisted the stick roughly, making me scream in agony.

"Why don't you just leave us alone?" I asked him, tears beginning to well up in my eyes. I was just completely sick of these guys popping up everywhere. "Can't you leave us be?"

"Unfortunately, no." Shiftry sighed and leaned against the tree, not taking his eyes off me for a moment. "Our masters' orders were specific. 'Locate and retrieve Project Christine and her mate. If they resist, use deadly force.' They were bloody serious about it, too. Got on their bad side with your little escapade, you did." He sighed, closing his eyes.

"But why are you after us?" I asked, trying my hardest not to cry from pain. Shiftry cracked one eye open and looked down at me.

"Well, they'll have my ass if I just let you go. I can't let you just be off on your way now, can I?" He chuckled and closed his eye again.

I shook my head. "No, I mean why _you_ personally? You must have a reason for following orders. Don't you think this is all wrong?"

It took a moment for the tree-like Pokemon to answer. When he did, his voice was soft and sounded almost, well...sad. "Now, it's not in my place to be thinkin' that, but..." Shiftry sighed, looking down at me. "'Innocence is the cost of justice'. That's what they say. Apparently it justifies them to go around capturing and killing. They don't even think of the people they affect. Or their families, or friends, or mates..." Shiftry's eyes grew fierce for a moment, but he shook his head. He sighed once more and leaned back against the tree.

"Beyond took someone you loved from you, too?" I asked softly. Before Shiftry had a chance to answer, Blaze's voice echoed through the trees. Shiftry looked up. He thought for a moment, then leaned over and withdrew the long branch from my shoulders. I gasped and fell onto the ground, trembling slightly.

"...I know what it was like to be in love, poppet." He said, tossing the stick aside and leaning back against the tree. "I'll give you a head start." I laid there for a moment, not sure I heard what I thought I heard, then picked myself off the ground and took off through the trees. I was limping on my front legs which made it harder, but luckily after a few moments I ran into Blaze.

"Christine!" He shouted with joy. His gaze dropped to my injuries. "Christine, what happened to your shoulders? Did he-" I looked up at me. I heard a rustling behind us.

"No time. We've got a head start. Let's go!" We began running through the trees, but my old wounds, in addition to the new ones, slowed me down greatly. Eventually, Blaze just stopped me and hefted me up onto his back. The crash of the water grew louder and louder until we finally broke free of the tangle of forest and opened out into an opening. The clearing continued for about twenty feet then dropped right off, down into the Clearspring River several hundred feet below.

"Dammit." Blaze swore, following the cliffside. No matter which way you looked, the cliff stretched on for miles. It would be a futile effort to jump; the other side was a good twenty or thirty feet away and at this height, even a water type like me would be killed if we fell.

"Now what?" I asked, scanning the horizon. "Wait...what's that?" I wasn't sure if I was really seeing it at first, but now I was sure of it. It was a bridge: an old, rickety wooden bridge that looked like it was at the end of its days. But it was still a bridge.

A shuffling among the trees startled us. Blaze and I began making a mad dash for the bridge. I looked behind us; Shiftry had just emerged from the forest.

"Hurry, Blaze!" I shouted, picking up the pace. My injuries were still bleeding and the muscles in my legs were tight and sore, but I refused to stop running. The bridge swayed under our weight and the creaking made me nervous, but we managed to make it across fine.

"You can't run forever!" Shiftry called in a singsong voice.

"Damn! What now...?" Blaze looked around quickly, looking for an answer. Suddenly he leapt up and began chewing the ropes tied around the posts that held the bridge in place; I realized what he was doing and did the same on the other rope. We managed to bite clean through the rope, causing the bridge to fall and crash against the opposite cliff. We sat there panting for a moment, then broke out laughing.

"Oh, bother. They got away." Shiftry said from across the chasm. "Looks like I'll have to make a report on how the escaped south of the river. Oh well." Blaze and I looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to Shiftry. The dark Pokemon shrugged. "Can't be helped. Just as long as they don't head north to Stormborough City. We still don't have a base there." He smiled at us and mouthed the words 'Good Luck', and turned away. Blaze and I turned back to Blaze smiling.

"See? They're still just Pokemon. They feel the same way we do." I was startled by two large, round leaves and a length of vine crashing to the ground in front of me. Blaze and I turned back to Shiftry.

"That should stop the bleeding for the time being!" he called. He gave one last nod and jumped back into the forest. Blaze picked up the leaves and wrapped them around my shoulders then tied them down with the vine. It was rough and made it difficult to walk, but it would have to do for now.

()()()()()()()()()()

I wasn't too excited about the prospect of traveling through more mountains. They're cold, uncomfortable, and hard to traverse, especially with me being in my present condition.

We settled down in another cave a few hours later. Both of us were exhausted, so Blaze fell asleep quickly. I couldn't get comfortable, especially with my injuries, so I lie there awake for a while until Blaze's soft snoring sent me off to sleep.

_"Blaze?"_

_"Blaze? Where are you?"_ _I was in a house, one that I didn't recognize. I looked around and went down the stairs, looking for someone, anyone to talk to. The stairs curved down into a large, warm living room. Two figures were hunched beside the warm glow of a fire. One turned and whispered something to the other. It was a Growlithe._

_"Blaze?" No, that one was female. The other figure turned; it was a Growlithe, too. "Blaze!" I went to walk up to them, but I froze. The female Growlithe leaned forward and kissed Blaze; Blaze opened his eyes in surprise for a moment, then closed them and leaned into it with conviction._

_I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I felt woozy, my head was spinning. I didn't even realize that my legs were backpedaling until the two were far away. I turned around and saw that the house had disappeared, along with the warm hearth and Blaze and..._her_. I sighed. My heart just couldn't stand this._

_"Shadow, where are we?" I turned at the voice; my son and the other Umbreon were standing a few feet away, looking around in confusion._

_"I don't know..." Shadow mumbled, "But I have a bad feeling about it." Without warning, a man appeared in front of us. The man was tall and had pale skin and windswept blond hair. He was dressed in black clothes with a long white coat over it. The ma's arrival made the female Umbreon jumped; Shadow gasped and stood protectively in front of her. _

_"I'm sorry I hadn't done this a long time ago." The man muttered, pulling a gun from his pocket and pointing it straight at Shadow's forehead. The man pulled the trigger._

()()()()()()()()()()

"Shadow!" I shouted, bolting up. I took a deep breath, gathering in my surroundings. Okay, cave, floor, nighttime, Blaze. Good. I had been having more and more of these odd dreams, always involving Blaze and Shadow. Usually that weren't good dreams.

Surprisingly, my outburst didn't wake Blaze, even though I was laying right beside him. In fact, he was still fast asleep. I giggled. He always closed his eyes so tightly when he slept.

". . ." Blaze muttered something in his sleep. He squeezed his eyes tighter and began kicking his legs.

"Blaze?" I asked, concerned, "Are you alright?"

"Az...Azmaria..." He mumbled, rolling over on to his side.

"Blaze. . .?" I asked cautiously, taking a step closer.

"Azmaria!" He shouted, now completely squirming and tossing violently all over. "Az, where are you?"

"Blaze!" I shouted, placing a paw on his shoulder. He stopped thrashing.

"Azmaria?" He asked. He still hadn't woken up. Whatever he was dreaming, it must've been a horrible nightmare.

". . .yes, Blaze. What's wrong?"

"Az...I can't find you...where did you go?"

I sighed, resting my head against his shoulder. "I'm right here, Blaze. Don't worry. I'll always be right here with you."

()()()()()()()()()()

"So...who's Azmaria?"

"Wh-what?" Blaze looked startled and turned his head away. We awoke early that morning so we could set out again. Our final destination was Stormborough, but we would have to make a quick stop in Geothera City on the other side of the mountain range so I could get my injuries tended to. My shoulders were still very sore and had started to bleed through Shiftry's makeshift bandages, but it was around noon and we could see the tip of the city over the horizon.

"Azmaria." I said, grinning, "You were mumbling the name in your sleep."

"Oh." Blaze said, still looking away. I gasped.

"You're blushing! Now I _need_ to know who it is." I grinned at him, moving closer to his side.

"Alright, alright." Blaze gave in. His face had turned bright red. "Azmaria was...well, she was my first mate." He turned away again. Now that he mentioned it, I remembered him telling me that his previous mate died in the car accident that took Sam's eyesight.

"Blaze, it's alright. Tell me about her."

Blaze sighed. "I wasn't Sam's first Pokemon, you know. Azmaria was his Growlithe before I was, and he always took her with him everywhere, including all his business trips. This is before he went blind, mind you.

"So he was sent off to some distant city and was assigned to be there for a while, so he brought Az with him and was considering buying a house to live in temporarily. Those plans were cemented when his companion fell in love."

"You mean Azmaria? With who?" I asked. Blaze grinned and I wanted to smack myself almost immediately after asking it. Him, of course. "So, you didn't always live in Darsteel City?" I gave myself an internal pat on the back for remembering the name of the city where Sam lived.

Blaze shook his head. "No, but I'll get to that in a minute. I can't quite remember which city it was, though. I was a street rat, kinda like you were when we first met. Anyways, Azmaria fell in love with me, and I with her. So Sam decided to settle down, at least temporarily. He didn't want his Pokemon to raise his family out on the street." Blaze chuckled and shook his head. "I'll never be able to repay him for taking me off the street.

"So one day he was driving to check out his new home. I remember, Az was in the passenger seat and I was in the back. All I remember is...one moment we were just driving along, then the next..." Blaze took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure, "There was fire. A lot of it. I managed to escape, and rescue Sam, but that was it. I thought Az had already gotten out. I went back into the wreckage, looking for her, but..." Blaze stopped, hanging his head. His breath came in shudders; he was sobbing. All this surprised me. I never thought anything could make him break down like this.

"It's okay, Blaze." I said, trying to console him. "It's all in the past now. There was nothing you could do."

"But there _was_!" Blaze cried. "I could have saved her! I-I..."

"Blaze!" I shouted, smacking Blaze with a paw, "Pull yourself together! Don't blame yourself; it couldn't be stopped." I waited for a moment to let him catch his breath. He looked up slowly, tears in his eyes.

"Thank you...I'm sorry." He sniffed, standing up and continuing down the road. I followed him, but I felt uneasy about his story. I remembered back to my dream, when Blaze was with the female Growlithe. Was it Azmaria? If so, did that ever really happen? For a moment I thought that my dreams may see into the past, but Shadow couldn't have been shot. We rescued him just a bit more than a day ago! The feeling had me confused all the way to Geothera City.

()()()()()()()()()()

Geothera is amazingly large. Its name is derived from the vary mountains the city was carved into. Buildings resided on cliffs and overhangs above and at the base of the mountain below, all connected by intertwining pathways of rope bridges. I've never seen such an architectural wonder.

But honestly, all I cared about was finding a Pokemon Center. My shoulders were absolutely killing me.

"This place is huge!" I said in wonderment, gazing around at the clusters of buildings built right into the rock face. "How will we ever find the Pokemon Center?"

"Let's ask directions." Blaze said, looking around. "Oh, there's someone. Uh, Ma'am, could you help us..."

"This place is awesome, Blaze!" I said, still lost my amazement of the city. "I've never seen anything like it! I-" I turned around; Blaze was frozen stiff as a board, staring at the Pokemon he was asking for directions. "Blaze? What's the matter?" I looked at him, his eyes bugging, then to who he was staring at.

It was surprising how similar they looked. The stranger was also a Growlithe, and she had the same look on her face.

"It...it can't be..." I looked back at Blaze, who was shaking his head in bewilderment.

"A...Azmaria?"


	8. I'm NOT Jealous!

A/N: Not a whole lot to say this time

**A/N: I'm horrible with this 'regular updating' thing. **

**Not a whole lot to say this time. A friend of mine died in a car accident the other day, so I may be a little later with my next update.**

**Keep it real.**

"Azmaria?" Blaze asked again, completely awestruck by the other Growlithe. The two of them wore the same expression of disbelief; eyes bugged open, mouth agape, forming soundless words. It took several full minutes of them staring at each other for something to happen.

"Blaze, is it. . .?" The female Growlithe asked softly, trailing off. Blaze nodded vigorously, smiling broadly. The other dog Pokemon leapt upon him in excitement, nuzzling her face on his in a loving gesture. In any other circumstance, I would've tackled the living daylights out of her, but I let it slide because they hadn't seen each other in years. That, along with the fact that she was Blaze's old mate.

I could see why. She was attractive; her coat was a lighter, but somehow more intense, shade of orange-red. Her underside was cream-colored, as was a little tuft of fur on her forehead. When describing her, Blaze would often explain how easy it was to get lost in her frosty blue eyes, and seeing in person, I could see he meant it. She wasn't as big as Blaze, but she was still a bit bigger than me.

They finished reintroducing themselves, sitting up and watching each other for another second. I couldn't help but smile at their reunion; I remembered how happy I was they day I found Eddie again.

"Az. . ." Blaze said quietly, smiling at her. "I- I thought you were gone. H-how?"

Azmaria shook her head. "I thought the same of you, all these years." She sniffed, smiling warmly at Blaze. "How is Sam doing?"

Blaze grinned. "I'm his seeing-eye dog. He's doing well for himself, no longer needing to be taken care of by Isabel."

"That's wonderful!" Azmaria face brightened, apparently not having reached its peak yet. Any more, though, and I was afraid she'd reach critical capacity. "Come, we _must_ go to my trainer's house and catch up." She stood up and Blaze nodded, doing the same. I moved to follow them, but felt a pang of pain in my shoulders.

Oh, yeah. "Um. . . bleeding mate, here." I called out to them. Blaze didn't register my voice at first, but must've remembered I was here. He turned around and quickly ran back over to me, his face flushed.

"Sorry, Christine. I got lost in the moment," he grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Azmaria exclaimed, sitting down next to Blaze. "I didn't notice you there. Erm, you are?"

"Christine." I said, trying to ignore the sudden throbbing in my shoulders, which was now migrating up to my neck. Introductions could wait. "Um, if you don't mind, which way is the Pokemon Center?"

Azmaria opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a young woman walking up behind her.

"Who're your friends, Azmaria?" the woman asked, crouching down to scratch the female Growlithe's head. She looked down between the two Growlithes, but frowned when she reached me. "Oh, that looks like it could become trouble," she muttered, indicating my makeshift bandages. Without another word, the woman scooped me up in her arms, making me give a cry of surprise.

"It's okay," Azmaria reassured me from the ground. "Audrey will take you to the Pokemon Center." She turned expectantly to Blaze, almost as if I was out of their hair and they were free to do whatever they liked. However, Blaze stood up and followed the woman, trailing close behind her.

()()()()()()()()()()

Our arrival to the Pokemon Center was nothing new to me. The woman, Audrey, admitted me and handing me over to the nurse, presumably named Joy, just like all other nurses. The nurse took me to a room and removed the leaf-bandages, tsking all the while. She cleaned up my wound and bound my shoulders in clean, soft bandages before lying me down on the warm bed in the room.

"She'll have to stay a day or two," she explained to Audrey. "The injury isn't serious; it just seems something pierced completely through the skin, but didn't cause any serious bone or muscle damage." Audrey thanked the nurse, who returned to the lobby. Audrey sighed, planting herself in a chair by the door. Blaze hopped up onto the bed, laying beside me.

"You've been in and out of these places far too much," he said with a sigh. "You've got to be one of the unluckiest people I've ever met."

I chuckled. "Well, at least I've got you to compensate." Blaze smiled. I continued, "I mean, look! You found your old mate, whom you thought was dead! If that isn't lucky, I don't know what is."

"Well!" said Azmaria cheerfully, appearing at the foot of the bed. "Audrey says she'll be staying here with you," she nodded at me, then turned to Blaze, "Let's go catch up!"

Blaze furrowed his brow, looking indecisive. "I don't know. I really think I should be here with Christine. . ."

I shook my head, making a shooing motion with my paws. "Go ahead. You two deserve time to catch up. I'm sure you'll both have a lot to say." Blaze still looked undecided for a moment, and deep in my heart I was shouting, _Decline, Blaze! Stay here! I need you by my side!_ But I knew that wasn't fair to my mate. I put on the best smile I could muster.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Azmaria insisted, hopping down from the bed. "She's in good hands." Azmaria nodded to Audrey, who had her nose buried deep within the confines of a book. Blaze sighed, then relented.

"Alright," he turned to me and smiled. "See you later." Blaze joined Azmaria and the two of them left.

A sudden surge of loneliness hit me, mixed with a bit of jealousy. Why should I be jealous, though? Blaze admitted he was over her, so I shouldn't need to worry, right? No matter how many times I thought that, a little nagging voice kept ringing in my head, refusing to leave me alone. I sighed and tried to preoccupy myself, but the only other thing of interest in the room was Audrey.

Audrey was a bit on the shorter side. She looked to be about Isabel's age; maybe a bit younger. Her pale skin was overcast by long, vibrant red hair that hung down over her sharp, light green eyes. She was dressed simply in dark clothes and wore little jewelry or makeup; if she was walking amongst a crowd, nothing would particularly make her stick out.

I wondered how she came across Azmaria. How, for that matter, had Azmaria survived in the first place? Blaze described it so vividly. . . he would have to tell me the story some other time.

With nothing better to do, and frankly being bored out of my skull, I slept.

()()()()()()()()()()

_At first, I noticed nothing._

_Nothing strange, nothing odd._

_Nothing bad. So far, so good._

_But then it happened. Shadow appeared in front of me. I knew from experience that when he showed up, I was about to see something bad._

_Shadow grinned at me. "Hiya, mom." I wanted nothing more than to run up and give him a hug (despite the physical limitations of being a Vaporeon), but I sated the urge. I didn't want to risk anything. _

_Shadow frowned, cocking his head to one side. "What's the matter? Don't you recognize me?" I didn't respond, trying with difficulty to block him out. Shadow continued to watch me, completely unaware as a small purple Pokemon materialized behind him. Sableye. With a malicious mouth-less grin, it drew a line across its throat, then slowly wrapped its hands around Shadow's unsuspecting neck. . ._

_I squeezed my eyes shut tight, not wanting to see the obvious conclusion. _

_Nothing happened for several minutes. Everything was still. I worriedly chanced to crack an eye open._

_We were in a tent. Or, at least it looked like a tent. There were four cloth walls surrounding us, but everything else was black. There were other figures around me, but most of them were indistinguishable. _

_"We couldn't do anything. . ." I looked for the source of the voice. It came from a human, towering over me a few feet away. He reached down and rested a hand on my shoulder. Getting a better look at him, I realized I recognized the man. Tall, with glasses and windswept blond hair. The dark clothes beneath the. . .white coat. It was the man who shot my Shadow!_

_It wasn't until I made that realization that his words really sunk in. Couldn't do anything? Before I even bothered to look, I knew it would be something bad. And it was._

_Lying still in the middle of the circle of figures, was my love. My heart._

_My Blaze. . .dead._

I wasn't sure how long after that I was gently shaken into consciousness. It felt like an eternity. I slowly opened my eyes, reassuring myself that it was all just a dream. Audrey stood by my bedside, smiling at me.

"The nurse says we can check you out in about an hour," she said cheerfully. "You're an amazingly fast healer. I would've expected you to be here for another day or two at the very least."

I nodded, having not really listened to her words. I was busy looking around for Blaze, for some sign that my dream was really just that. Audrey noticed this.

"Are you looking for the other Growlithe? He's back at home with Azmaria." I immediately felt a tug at my heartstrings. I was really hoping he'd be here when I checked out. I shook my head. No, he must have been having so much fun with Azmaria, it probably just. . .slipped his mind. That's all.

My mind wasn't entirely with me as Audrey checked me out of the Pokemon Center. I wasn't really thinking of anything in particular, I was just. . .preoccupied with something. I barely noticed walking with Audrey to her house, stepping in the front door, being lead into the living room. Blaze completely dominated my thoughts.

And yet, Blaze and Azmaria were nowhere to be found. Taking a cue from Audrey muttering something about work and rushing out the door, I decided to look around the house.

It was a fairly small house; just one story with a couple rooms branching off the main living space. Not that it bothered me, though. After all, there was no way I could get lost in this house. I poked my head inside each door as I passed it. A kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, an empty room not in use. But still, no Blaze.

I sighed, trying to gather my thoughts, but it was hard when all I could think about was my Blaze and. . . Azmaria. Just the thought of them together. . . it seemed like every minute they were together was another moment that we were drifting apart.

I shook my head. No, that was silly. Blaze loved me! I growled in frustration, still unconvinced with myself. A thump from behind startled me. I turned, finding myself looking out a large sliding glass door to the backyard. There were two figures out there, sitting amongst the tall plants in the garden. My heart skipped a beat. I looked around for a way outside; a small poke'door was built into the wall beside the glass door. Slipping through the small doorway, I followed a twisting path out into the garden, drawing closer to the two growlithes.

". . . so after the accident, Sam gave me to one of his co-workers. So here I've been." I recognized Azmaria's voice as I approached them.

"Huh." My suspicions were confirmed; it was Blaze. "Oh, hello Christine!" I looked up, startled. Blaze's smile absolutely made my heart melt away and forget everything else. It was such a great feeling, and I don't even know why I felt it, now of all times.

"Hi there, Christine." Oh, that's right. Good feeling gone.

I sat down on the other side of Blaze, not taking my eye off the female growlithe. Blaze didn't seem to notice.

"Az was just telling me what happened on that day," he explained to me. "Apparently Sam thought it best to leave her here after the accident."

"Fascinating." I replied, not really having heard him. Blaze was completely oblivious to the fact that his former mate and I were staring at each other behind his back. I didn't trust her one bit.

"C'mon, Blaze!" Azmaria said suddenly, climbing to her feet. "I still need to show you the anteroom!" Blaze looked at me for a brief moment, then turned back to Azmaria.

"I'll be there in a minute." Azmaria nodded and started off towards the house. Blaze turned back to me.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course," I lied, putting on a fake smile. "Never better. Why?"

Blaze looked less than amused. "You may as well tell the truth, Christine. Your ears twitch when you lie."

Damn ears. "Alright," I sighed. "I guess I'm just. . . uncomfortable. You know, with Az being your old mate and all. . ."

Blaze shook his head. "Christine, you know I love you. No one could come between that, old mate or not." He smiled at me, leaning forward and nuzzling my face affectionately. "Just humor her for one more day. We can leave tomorrow, if you'd like."

I nodded. "Alright." I still felt unsure, though. Memories of my dream came bubbling back; as long as we were here, I don't think I'd be able to relax.

Blaze smiled one last time and began walking down the stone path. "Are you coming?"

"Maybe in a minute." Blaze nodded and disappeared behind the plants. I sighed, looking up at the sky. I couldn't wait to get out of here.

()()()()()()()()()()

Thus went the rest of my day. Azmaria always needing to show something to Blaze, or tell Blaze a story, and listen to Blaze's stories, thereby effectively hogging my mate to herself.

But I could deal with it. At least for today. I sighed in boredom. With nothing better to do, I decided to go sleep. My arms were beginning to ache, anyways.

_Singing?_

_. . .yes, definitely singing. Someone was singing a song softly, so softly, in fact, that I could barely hear the voice._

_But I certainly recognized it. The voice, that is. In fact, I recognized the song. After all, it was I who taught it to him._

_Glancing behind me, it was no surprise to see Shadow kneeling over a dark figure, singing to it. There were tears running down his face; that, along with the fact that the song was broken up by small sobs, meant he must've been crying. Once again, I wanted to go comfort him, but I couldn't move. There was something heavy weighing down upon me. I realized, with a touch of panic, that I was lying on the ground on my stomach. I could feel someone, or something's, hot breath on my neck._

_Craning my neck, all could see were two bright eyes and a snarling, drooling set of fangs hovering just above me. The set of teeth twisted into a malicious grin and moved- the owner took a step back. I could see his face more clearly now; reddish-orange fur, a canine snout, a long scar running from the owner's eye, and lastly, most curiously, a red steel band, almost like a crown, perched atop his head._

_"Blaze?" I asked with hesitation. A voice chuckled, but it wasn't Blaze's._

_"Not anymore. . ." I looked around frantically for the source of the voice. Blaze chuckled and opened his mouth wide, baring his sharp teeth, and pounced on my neck. . ._

It was dark when I awoke. That came as no surprise; it had still been early when I set of for my nap, so it was probably 10 o'clock by now. I shuddered, thinking about my dream. They were happening so often lately, and they were all so real. The last time I had dreams like this were back when I was first turned into an Eevee, when they were about my time under Beyond captivity. I was about to settle back into sleep when I noticed something. Or rather, a lack of something.

Blaze. I thought he would've gone to bed by now. Reaching out with a paw, I felt the empty air beside me. Odd. I stood up, feeling around for the door. It was opened ajar, jus the way I left it when I came. Poking my head through the doorway, I peered around. Nothing.

I took a cautious step, my ears listening intently. I heard hushed voices coming from the living room. I took another step out the door, but something deep inside was nagging away at me. This all seemed eerily familiar.

I stepped out into the living room, squinting at the sudden burst of light coming from the fireplace. I hadn't noticed it before, but that was the least of my worries. Sitting in front of the fireplace were Blaze and Azmaria, watching the fire and chatting softly.

_It's only a coincidence,_ I thought to myself, _Dreams don't really happen._ I had to admit though, minus the lack-of-staircase, this was _exactly_ like my dream. And, I couldn't ignore the fact that my dreams have happened before, but I really, really hoped that this dream was just a regular old dream, and not some sort of prophecy.

But then it happened.

I knew it was coming, but it took me by surprise nonetheless. Azmaria leaned over to Blaze and whispered in his ear. Even from where I was a few feet away, I could see a red tint appear on his face. Blaze turned to respond, but he was cut short by Azmaria leaning in and locking muzzles with him.

I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. I wanted to do something other than stand there gaping like a moron. Blaze's eyes widened in shock, but the worst of all happened when he closed his own eyes and leaned into the connection. The familiar feeling came back; I felt woozy, like I had just stepped off a bad spinney carnival ride. Everything else melted away around me; it was just me and them, completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

It wouldn't have been near as bad if he hadn't looked like he was enjoying it.

"B-blaze?" I heard the words, completely unaware for a few seconds that they had come from me. Blaze quickly looked up, glancing around before his eyes fell on me. Before he had a chance to say anything, I had already turned the other way and was heading out the small Poke'door into the backyard.

()()()()()()()()()()

Ever since I was a little girl, the sight of the stars always helped calm my mind and clear my thoughts. Tonight was no exception.

I was perched in the garden, at the end of the little path. Apparently, if you followed it all the way it opened up to a small courtyard with a pond. I watched the reflection of the moon flicker in the ripples of the water. I don't know how long I was out there. Time meant nothing when you couldn't figure up from down.

I was faintly aware of the sound of nails clicking on the stone path. I looked up when the sound stopped; Blaze was standing a few strides away, looking solemn.

"Go away." I mumbled, turning my gaze back to the water. All I really wanted right then was for him to come and reassure me, but I turned him away anyways. I needed to be alone.

"Christine, I-"

"How could you!" I demanded, getting right up in his face with surprising speed. "How could you do that to me, Blaze? I know she's your old mate, but that doesn't mean you can go and. . ." I tried to sound strong and vindictive in my words, but by the end I was breaking down into tears.

"Christine, I. . . I don't know what to say. I can't deny what I did." Blaze sighed tiredly. In this light, he looked much older, much wearier. "It was a moment of weakness. But Christine, _she _kissed _me_. I guess I couldn't help myself." He sighed once more, waiting a moment before turning to go back inside.

"I know what happened, Blaze. I understand it perfectly." I swallowed hard. "It's just. . . how can I trust you anymore?" I shook my head. I knew it probably wasn't fair, but still. . . I couldn't get that image out of my head.

Blaze shrugged. "Christine, you know I love you. I love you more than there are days in a year! Its. . ." Blaze struggled to find the words to say, pausing for a moment. "I can't explain what I did. Azmaria. . . I really don't love her. It was a mistake, really!"

I sighed, still unconvinced. "Blaze, how can I really know? You looked like you enjoyed it so much. . ."

Blaze looked away for a moment. "Azmaria," he began slowly, "isn't in the same league as you. The twinkle in her eye, the brightness in her smile. . . it just doesn't appeal to me the way it used to. Christine, I'm over her. . . it's you I love."

I sniffed, trying my hardest not to burst into tears. "Blaze, I don't know what to do. How can I-"

Blaze shook his head, giving me a sad smile. "I never expected you to forgive me right away. I just wanted to tell you that it really is you who I love." He shrugged. "Maybe in time, I guess." He turned and began to walk away again. I sat there for a moment, thinking it all through. I growled in frustration. What was I supposed to do?

And then. . . it hit me. Like something clicked in my head. It was all suddenly so simple.

"Blaze!" I shouted, running to catch up with him. He stopped and turned around; the minute he faced me I jumped up and planted a kiss. I held it there for a moment before stepping back down. Blaze blinked, then to my relief, smiled at me.

"So, am I forgiven?" He asked quietly. I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder. He sighed, nuzzling my face. "Come one, let's go to bed. I've got a treat for you."

And so, all was back to normal.

**A/N: Hm. I was going to add more to this chapter, but it's already running a bit long. Next time, for sure. So, please leave your comments! They are very much appreciated!**


	9. The Starving Artist

A/N: Hiya

**A/N: Hiya! Minto's sister here with the author's note for today. He said no when I asked him, but he's out sick, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him :D**

**Anyways, I've just got to say how funny I think it is that right after he mentions how he likes getting reviews, he starts getting like none! Lol, he **_**was**_** a bit flustered this whole week. So, that's about it. Hope you like the new chapter! (Minty's better at writing than he gives himself credit for, the big dope!)**

"Hmph," Percy muttered, setting down his binoculars on the snow-covered ground. "Nothing. How about you, Apollo?" He turned to his great bird companion beside him, fully concentrated on preening his feathers. The bird, a rare species called a Pidgeot, looked up for a brief moment and ruffled his feathers before returning to his grooming. Percy frowned at the bird. "You either, huh?" Percy sighed and picked up his binoculars, scanning the horizon for about the thousandth time.

"It has to be out here," Percy continued, despite the fact that Apollo probably wasn't paying attention. The two had been outside in the cold for hours, searching for the Lights of the North. Every tale told in town has said the same thing: everyone who had witnessed the great Lights has returned changed, inspired. Being an artist, that's exactly what Percy was looking for: inspiration. "C'mon. . . it's here somewhere, I just know it. . ."

Percy sighed again, turning to his bird companion, now ruffling his wings in an attempt to air them out. "Are you going to help at all, or are you _that_ intent on impressing that cute Staraptor?" Apollo squawked angrily, beating his great wings and launching himself into the sky. "Oh, come on!" Percy shouted, trying to keep down his laughter. "I was only kidding!" The Pidgeot began sailing in slow circles among the clouds, climbing higher and higher, growing less visible as he ascended.

"Dammit." Percy muttered, standing up and shaking out his les in a vain attempt to wake them. He stuffed his binoculars into his pocket and took off after the bird, bounding across the hilly snow-covered landscape. "Where is he—yah!" He skidded to a halt and fell face first into a snowbank. Apollo perched high in a pine tree, warbling a bird chuckle. He had appeared from nowhere and surprised Percy, making him trip up.

"Very funny," Percy mumbled, spitting out a mouthful of snow. Apollo squawked louder, making Percy's face flush. He stood up, wiping the snow from his over coat. "Yeah, yeah, wiseguy. What do you—Apollo?" The bird had stopped its laughter and was standing straight, its eyes fixed on the horizon. Without warning, the Pidgeot took off again, flying a ways then starting in slow circles over the frozen plain. "Oh, what now?"

Percy trudged through the snow, wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to preserve heat. "Apollo, what are you doing?" he called, stepping up over a small hill. The bird was circling high in the sky over a small form in the snow. "What the. . ." Percy took a tentative step closer to the form, trying to determine if it was safe. As he drew nearer and nearer, the figure became clear.

"Well, I'll be. . ."

()()()()()()()()()()

I cracked my eyes open a bit, blinking in the light of the new day. It took me a moment to get my bearings. Blaze and I were still in Geothera, at Azmaria's house. We were leaving today.

A wave of relief washed over me. We were leaving. It was about time, this place was beginning to unnerve me.

Something shifted near me. Blaze. I smiled at him, still sleeping, gave him a lick on the forehead and snuggled closer into the warm fur of his chest. His arms were wrapped in a warm embrace around me. I would be perfectly content just to lie here beside him forever.

"Morning," Blaze said groggily, giving me a lick on the forehead. "How're you feeling?"

I smiled, nuzzling his cheek. "Glad to be leaving, honestly." Reluctantly, I released myself from Blaze's grip and stood up, stretching out my sore muscles. "Shall we?"

It was still early; Blaze and I both agreed to leave at first light to avoid any complicated farewells. So, as quietly as we could, we snuck out the Pokedoor and cut around the house through the gardens. There were very few people out, but that was understandable as the sun was just barely visible over the cliffs the city was built into. Blaze and I took the main road leading up to the third tier of buildings, where a path split off, heading north. With one last look at the earthy city, we headed north into the depths of the Georie Mountains.

I heard once that of all the mountain ranges from every region out there, the Georie was by far the largest. Experiencing them up close and personal, I didn't have any doubts about that at all. The view was amazing! The higher we climbed the more of the beautiful region we could see. It really put things into perspective, being that high up.

I concluded that Blaze must've been afraid of heights. He kept glancing around nervously and mumbling over his shoulder the whole way up the trail. His look of genuine worry unnerved me a bit, but I ignored the feeling. It was just great to be out and moving again. And the best part of all was that we would arrive in Stormborough in the next day or two. We would finally be safe from Beyond!

"Christine," Blaze interrupted my thoughts. I looked over my shoulder at him. He had stopped walking; I noticed we had reached the peak of what looked like the last plateau before we were surrounded by nothing but mountains. This portion of the mountain range was fairly flat and there were a few sparse plants here and there. Further on, the flat land gave way to hills and peaks that would be around until we reached Stormborough. Why did we stop here? Was he afraid of going on?

"What's wrong, Blaze?" I asked. He cringed, turning to avoid my gaze. "Are you afraid of the mountains? I mean, it'll be hard, but together we can-"

"Christine, I have to go." He blurted out, still not looking directly at me. I waited for a moment.

"Well. . . there's some trees over there, but I don't-" Blaze shook his head. "What the matter?"

"No, I mean. . ." Blaze looked back over his shoulder again and sighed. "I'm leaving." The confusion must've shown on my face, because he clarified: "Leaving _you._"

It took a moment for what he said to sink in. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry, Christine, I-"

"This isn't funny, Blaze!" I shouted. How dare he, after all we just went through? I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I hoped Blaze could see them; he needed to know that it was no matter to joke about. "So stop it! Just. . . stop. Let's go."

Blaze shook his head. "I'm sorry, Christine. I can't go with you."

"Blaze, stop fooling around!" I shouted desperately. The look on his face gave it all away, though. He was serious.

"I'm not kidding, Christine." He said solemnly. His head jerked quickly over his shoulder; he cringed and looked back at me. He frowned, as if saying all this was hard for him. "I. . . I've already got what I wanted from you," he swallowed hard. "And now. . . I. . . I don't need you anymore." He turned to walk away.

"Blaze! Blaze, please!" I was crying openly now. I was praying that this was all a joke now. It couldn't really be happening; any minute now he would say 'Got you!', we'd have a good laugh, and. . . and. . .

Blaze looked over his shoulder again and murmured something for a few minutes before sighing and looking at me. "From the very beginning, it was going to be like this." Blaze's eyes widened. He sighed, closing his eyes tight. "I have to go. . . Azmaria's. . . Azmaria's waiting for me." He turned around and started walking away briskly.

". . .Blaze." I whimpered, completely cemented to the spot I was standing. Blaze gave one last look backwards and mouthed 'Sorry.' before running off down the mountain pass.

"B-Blaze!" I cried, burying my head in my paws. There was no way this was real. It had to be a dream. Any moment now, Shadow or Penny or the strange Beyond man would show up, and I would wake up, and it would all be okay!

But. . . something deep in my heart told me that wasn't going to happen. I lost Blaze.

Forever.

()()()()()()()()()()

It was a pelt.

Not just any pelt, either. It wasn't colored like any Pokemon you would find here. No, it must've been dropped by some caravan on their way into town. It wouldn't be surprising; selling Pokemon furs was a great source of income way up in the mountains where nothing grows.

Percy took another step towards it. It was a fairly large fur and would probably sell for a decent amount of money. Its owner would probably want it back.

Percy was about to pick it up when a better idea occurred. Merchants wouldn't just carry a single pelt of this quality, right? So whoever owned this one wouldn't miss it, and he needed the money, anyway.

_Besides, if the merchant was careless enough to leave it out here, he must not care for it much._ Percy's mind was made up and he was already considering what he would do with the money when he noticed something odd about the fur. There were strips of cloth wrapped around the paws of the pelt. Odd.

"To keep its feet warm?" Percy wondered aloud. He looked up to Apollo, still circling in the air. "What do you think?" The bird squawked and landed beside Percy, eyeing the fur intently. Percy shrugged, scooping up the fur with both arms.

The first thing he noticed about it was the feel. The fur was as fine as silk and as soft as. . . well, snow, now that he thought about it. But the second, most curious thing he noticed was the warmth. Obviously the furs would provide some sort of insulation, but this one was _radiating _heat. Percy flipped the pelt over, an action that caused it to twitch.

"Wah!" Percy shouted, nearly dropping his load. It wasn't a pelt after all! It was alive. The Pokemon's chest rose and fell slightly with each shallow breath. Percy pressed a hand to its chest, feeling a faint heartbeat. "Apollo. . . it's alive," Percy breathed in amazement.

The bird cocked its head to one side, glancing back towards the city.

"Oh, right!" Percy exclaimed, having been lost in the wonder of the limp Pokemon. The Pokemon gave a slight whimper, suddenly filling Percy with a feeling of dread. "We need to get it back home, now! Go warn Nurse Joy, Apollo." The Pidgeot nodded and took off. Percy sighed, looking around before running towards the city. _Where had this Pokemon come from?_

It, or rather, _she_ (Percy blushed at this realization, looking away from the small body in his arms), didn't look native to this area. Her fur was dark blue, and she had a long, fishlike tail and frills on her head and around her neck. A water type, probably. From further south. Percy made a mental note to look it up or ask Joy later.

But this creature brought the strangest feelings to Percy. She filled his mind with ideas, with pictures, with songs. He came out looking for the fabled Lights of the North.

Who would've thought his inspiration would be found in this frail creature?

()()()()()()()()()()

One would think that after a while I would have gotten used to waking up in strange places. And to a degree, I was.

I just wasn't expecting the gigantic bird staring me in the eye.

"Wagh!" I cried as soon as I opened my eyes, diving beneath the covers completely on impulse.

"Did I scare you?" The bird asked uneasily, plucking the covers up and dragging them off the soft bed I was laying on. I nodded hesitantly at him, remaining wary of this strange Pokemon. "Pray forgive me." He was a large bird, with well-kempt earthy brown and brilliant white feathers, and long, colorful plumage on his head. He had a stern, intimidating look. It didn't help that he was bigger than me, either.

"Where am I?" My throat was parched and made it hard to speak. The bird cocked his head and watched me for a long moment before answering.

"Yes, that is the question, isn't it?" he asked. "Where are we, truly?"

_Helpful creature. . ._ I thought, trying to recall my memories. I remembered setting off into the mountains and it getting colder and colder. The freezing temperatures were suffocating, and my paws got so frigid that I had to wrap my bandages around them to keep them drier. A horrible storm was brewing that day; I feared that I would fall asleep several times and be buried in a coffin of snow and ice. I shivered, despite the fact that the room was kept warm by a loud, crackling fire I heard somewhere nearby.

"And you. . . saved me?" The bird shook his head.

"That was Percy's doing." The bird offered no other explanation. I could only assume that Percy was his trainer. "Make yourself at home. Just take it easy." The bird nodded then flew off to a roost on the other side of the room. I looked around, taking in the room.

It was enormous, but the whole first floor seemed to consist of just one room. It was grand, made from stone and wood. Some oddly shaped walls suggested that three rooms may have at one time led out of the main room, but the partitions had been taken down. This side of the room farthest from the door seemed to be designed for living; the mattress I was staying on, utilities, a small oak table and chairs, a television. The strange bird's roost was in the corner of this space.

Another wall was painted completely black, seeming to absorb and bend the light in that area. Multitudes of instruments lined the walls, and stacks of papers littered the floors and on what appeared to be a low desk. There were a few wide windows that revealed a beautiful view from the top of a tall hill overlooking a snow-covered town. The center of the room was dominated by a large worn couch surrounded by papers and easels and other artistic supplies. A winding staircase led upstairs.

Easily the most remarkable part of the house was the third wall, or rather what was painted on it. A beautiful mural took up the entire wall, depicting a ragged-looking man on his knees, gazing up in awe at. . . nothing. Where the object of the man's attention would have been there was a large white blotch. A pair of feathered wings, much like an angels, sprouted from the splotch, but otherwise there was nothing to indicate what the man was looking at. It was unfinished. Even still, it was beautiful. The painting captured every detail perfectly, from the pristine blue of the sky to the tears of inspiration in the man's eye. It was wonderful.

"A real work of art, huh?" I turned around. A young man was standing behind me. He was. . . wow. He was tall and lithe, dressed simply, warmly, and just seemed to fit in with the feel of the rest of the house. Medium length blond hair framed his handsome face that radiated a warm glow. "The man in the painting is brought to his knees by beauty." He smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I just can't portray it correctly." The man sighed and plopped himself down on the couch. I cocked my head at him. Was this the bird's trainer?

He smiled at me. "I'm Percy." He pointed behind him at the bird, still sitting on his roost. "You've already met Apollo." He leaned back in the couch, placing his arms behind his head. "Make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa. You can do whatever you want, and don't feel like you have to stay. The door's always open, though I don't know how well you'll do out there. My only request is that you don't go upstairs; that's my private studio."

I frowned at the man. This is the one who saved me? No complaints, but I was expecting him to be less. . . apathetic. I mean, he's an artist! I expected him to be more. . . I dunno, artist-y.

I jumped up onto the couch beside him, looking him over. As soon as I did, his eyes widened.

"This light. . ." he muttered, standing up and looking around. He turned to me. "Stay right there. Try not to move." Confused, I followed his orders, watching him collect things from the room; an easel, some paper, paint. He set it all down on the couch and knelt down next to me, running a warm hand along my side. I shivered.

"You don't even look like you have fur, yet here I am feeling it. . ." he murmured, studying me. He stood me up and ran his hands along my back and down my legs. "Interesting bone structure. . ." I glanced uneasily at the bird, Apollo, who appeared to have a hard time containing his laughter at my expense.

"He's examining you," Apollo explained, "for a painting. To help him get a better feel for it. Consider it an honor." An honor, maybe, but this guy was getting a bit intrusive. As he began running his fingers along the inside of my leg, I snapped at his hands, teeth bared. Percy frowned, but it soon disappeared.

"Oh, please forgive me," he muttered apologetically, "When I saw you in this light, I lost my head for a second there." He patted my head. "You really are a beautiful creature. I'd love to paint you sometime- with your permission, of course." I don't know what it was about the gleam in his eyes when he spoke, but it made me feel guilty to want to say no. So I nodded. Percy grinned.

"Wonderful. Erm, if I may. . .?" I nodded again and he continued his examination, but was conscious of my boundaries this time around. "Such magnificence. . ." he muttered, placing a hand under my chin and tilting my head up so I was looking into his face. "But your eyes. . . you've lost someone recently, someone. . . close." My eyes widened, suddenly remembering vividly Blaze's mysterious leaving. Percy gave me a sympathetic pat on the head.

"The painting can wait," he said, taking the art supplies up under his arm. "Go and rest. You look like you need it." I nodded and went back to the bed I woke up on, near the bird's roost.

"I'm sorry, _signora_." The bird muttered before returning to his preening. I just nodded, still completely numb.

_Blaze. . . what have you done?_


	10. Inspiration

A/N: Not a whole lot to say this time

**A/N: My mind has been completely blown. Absolutely, completely, definitively **_**blown**_**.**

**I guess I should explain. In the past year, especially recently, I've been getting really bad migraines and (especially recently) I would get distorted and lose track of time or where I was and things like that. It was kind of scary, really. So I went to see a doctor, and he told me to go visit a psychiatrist. At that point, I was completely freaking out.**

**Well, as it turns out, this psychiatrist informed me that I may have a rare condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's ****a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities; if you've ever heard of multiple personality disorder, it's basicaly that.**** It's not a definite diagnosis, and I'm waiting to take some test that will determine somehow if I have it. So. . . yeah. I'm freaking out even more now. **

**Sorry about the super long intro, I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening. Now for what you all actually came here for!**

It's never fun to wake up after a bad dream. You can't come easily out of sleep, you're always jolting upright and gasping and scaring everyone around you. You're always panting, wide-eyed, and disoriented. And worst of all, you always wake up right at the most critical moment, so after you awake it is still burned into your mind for a long time.

"Blaze!" I shouted, taking in my surroundings. "I just had the most horrible dream. . ." I shook my head groggily. "You left me and I almost died but was saved by this weird bird and some pervert artist guy. . ." I stopped my mindless rambling, deciding instead to get a grip on the situation. Where was I? It looked like we were inside a building, and furthermore Blaze was nowhere to be seen.

"Ahem." I looked up; a great bird was looking down, eyeing me curiously. "Weird. . . bird? _Signora_, you really must speak more kindly of your rescuers." The bird shook its head then buried it beneath one of its wings.

So. . . it _had _all happened. I was in Stormborough, in the home of some strange but well-meaning artist. And that meant that Blaze. . . really was gone. I sighed, curling back up into my bed. I just felt like sleeping. Maybe, if I was lucky, I never needed to wake up and face this pain. . .

_No!_ I shook my head. _Remember what happened last time! I have to continue on. . . for Shadow and Rose! _

Finding the strength from somewhere, I pulled myself to my feet and stepped sleepily from my mattress. In an attempt to shake off the drowsiness, I tried to get a better bearing of my surroundings. The bird, Apollo, was snoring softly above me, his head buried under one wings as customary of birds. The house was still messy, as was expected. A fire was crackling invitingly in the hearth, and the smell of breakfast lingered in the air. I perked my ears. Soft music was coming from outside, from the ajar front door.

Curious, I nudged open the door. Percy was sitting out on the front porch, strumming a large guitar softly. As I stepped out onto the porch, I realized what a spectacular view it was from Percy's house. It was perched upon a tall hill, overlooking the enormous city of Stormborough. A thin layer of snow covered everything from the trees to the buildings far below. At filled my heart with wonder and my mind with words of poetry; truly a perfect home for an aspiring artist.

"Oh." Percy stopped strumming his instrument, setting it by his side. "Good morning." He smiled and patted the floor beside him, inviting me to sit down. I obliged, staring out with him at the marvelous view. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

I nodded at him, granting me a smile. I nodded at his guitar.

"Oh, this?" He asked, picking up the instrument. "I have a client that wants me to write a song for him." Percy sighed. "In three days. I've never been good with deadlines." He patted my head and stood up, bringing his guitar inside. I took one last look at the landscape and then followed him.

"My client's in Serenity Bay, way on the eastern coast," Percy was explaining inside. "We have to leave in a few days and if I'm not done before then, well. . ." He turned to me and gave a halfhearted grin. "I can say goodbye to funding for a while." Percy stowed his guitar away on the wall full of instruments while I made myself comfortable on the couch. "You're allowed to come with, of course. Only if you want to, though." Percy shrugged. "I'm sure you have family to be getting to."

Of course I did, but it would have been safer to stay here. Stormborough had high walls and was already outside the influence of Beyond. This is what I had been looking for. . . safety. Here I could live without worry, without care. It was a beautiful city, and the cold wouldn't be such a problem. _And I deserve some sense of normalcy, right? To spend the rest of my days safe and sound._

The more I thought it over, the better it sounded. But there was always Rose, Shadow, Isabel, and Sam to think about, and Blaze was still out there somewhere, too. Even if it meant to live without fear, I couldn't just abandon them all. I sighed. It was hard to believe we escaped from the Beyond headquarters just five days ago. Why did everything have to be so complicated, or move so quickly?

I jumped in surprise as a large tarp was lain down in front of me. I looked up; Percy was grinning at me from the other side, several cans of paint surrounding him. "Done daydreaming?" he chuckled. "C'mon, help me with this. Painting always helps me think." With a bit of hesitation, I nodded, stepping onto the tarp. I noticed a large blank piece of paper was spread atop the tarp, practically begging for someone to give it color.

Looking up, I noticed Percy had already dipped a brush in a can of bright orange paint and was creating long strokes along the paper. He looked up. "Go ahead and do whatever you want. It's to get the creative juices flowing." He smiled then went back to his strokes. Turning my attention to the open cans of paint spread out around the tarp. Hesitantly I stuck a paw in a jar of blue paint and set it down on the paper. Moving slowly, I dragged my paw downwards, leaving a long trail of dark blue along the paper.

"That's the way!" Percy grinned. "Just be careful with some of the paint, okay?" I nodded and went back to work painting lines. After a while, I got an idea. Standing up and walking over to a group of cans, I stuck my other front paw into a can of green, then my two back paws into jars of red and brown. I began moving about the paper, the slick paint making me slide almost as if on ice. I got so lost in the fun that I didn't take my tail into consideration and I accidentally knocked over a can of paint. I gasped but, fortunately, the can was empty.

"Like I said, be careful." Percy warned again, watching me with a wary eye. I nodded and took a step back, trying to edge my way to the far side without knocking anything over again. I took it slowly, inching my way across the paper. I was near my goal when my back foot slipped and I slipped backwards and nearly knocked over a can of yellow paint. I flipped onto my side and brought my tail over in a wide arc, missing the can by inches.

"Hey! What'd I say?" Percy shouted, then sighed. "Just. . . don't make a mess, alright? I'm kind of on edge right now." I nodded and let out a sigh of relief, setting my tail down. I didn't notice the black paint behind me though, so in doing so I knocked it over, sending it sprawling across the tarp and splattering paint everywhere. Percy jumped up, grabbing at his hair in frustration.

"Like _that_! When I said 'Don't make a mess', I didn't mean to paint it-" Percy froze where he stood, eyes wide. "Paint it. . . black. . . " He looked thoughtful for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "That's it!" Without another word, he grabbed his guitar and a sheaf of papers then barged up the spiral staircase, leaving just me, Apollo the bird, and a rapidly growing mess of black at my feet.

"Wha. . ." I stammered, "What just happened?"

"Inspiration." Apollo muttered from his corner. "You've stricken him." The bird shook out his wings and fluttered down to the floor. "Come. We should clean this before he returns." Apollo began rolling up the messy tarp with his beak; I just nodded vacantly and joined him.

()()()()()()()()()()

_It was an easier subject._

_"A band of red upon his head. . ."_

_No fighting, no thrashing._

_"You shall do what we want to. . ."_

_His spirit was already broken. It was almost pitiable._

_"No telling why, you can't deny. . ."_

_He had already accepted his fate. It was too late for him._

_"Bend to our will, and you shall kill. . ."_

_He had already done what he deemed unforgivable._

_"An unbreakable bond. . . submit to Beyond. . ."_

_Little did he know what was to come._

I didn't know when I fell asleep, or when I awoke, for that matter. It was dark, I know; at least it was for the latter. There was a loud _THUMP. _I looked around to find the source o the disturbance; I noticed Percy had finally emerged from the second floor and was slipping outside, guitar under his arm. I yawned and shook off the sleep and decided to follow him out the door.

Percy was sitting outside, watching up at the moon. His guitar was resting by his side, his arm resting lightly on it. I walked over and sat down by his side, watching him.

"It's finished. . ." he muttered, turning to me. "Would you like to hear it?" I nodded and he lifted up his guitar, strummed it for a second, then began to sing.

"_I see a red door and I want it painted black._

_No colors anymore, I want them to turn black._

_I see girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes,_

_I have to turn my head until my darkness goes._

_I see a line of cars and theyre all painted black_

_With flowers and my love both never to come back__._

_I see people turn their heads and quickly look away__;_

_Like a new born baby it just happens evry day__!_

_I look inside myself and see my heart is black__._

_I see my red door and it has been painted black__._

_Maybe then Ill fade away and not have to face the facts__,_

_Its not easy facin up when your whole world is black__. . ._"

He really did have a wonderful voice, but the more I listened to the song, the more unsure of it I became. It was just so. . . depressing. Percy finished his song and turned to me.

"What'd you think?" he asked, smiling. I just looked at him for a moment and watch his smile fade. "No good?" I grimaced, then shook my head. Percy's face instantly transformed into a frown. He stood up and shoved his guitar away. "Oh, who asked you?" Percy kicked his porch then turned, shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking towards town.

"Oh, dammit," I grumbled. "Wait!" A wing blocked my way. I followed it up; Apollo was looking down at me.

"Let him go, _Signora_. He needs to ah. . . clear his head, yes?" The bird nodded. "Come back in; Percy shall return shortly." I watched Percy go for a moment longer, then conceded.

"He's very troubled, isn't he?" I asked Apollo as he led me back inside.

"_Sì_, _Sì_. He has hard it hard, though." Apollo shook his head. "Do not concern yourself too much. He gets like this when he is on a deadline."

"Right. . ." I nodded, taking my place on the mattress as Apollo flew up to his roost. Soon enough I drifted back into a restless, and more confused, sleep.

_It was that man again.__ The one who shot Shadow. Blond hair, glasses, dark clothes, white lab coat. . . it was all there. And he was not alone. Standing around him were three Pokemon; two at his feet, one hovering slowly over his shoulder. I didn't know what it meant. But they were all watching me._

_The one above his shoulder I recognized immediately. Sableye, with that evil mouthless grin. Watching me with those cold, blue diamond-shaped eyes. Just watching, not moving with the exception of her small, humanoid hands, swaying back and forth in front of her, as if she were conducting music._

_And the man's side was a Pokemon I recognized, but did not know. A tall bluePokemon with a tan belly and a short horn on its snout. It stood on two feet, glaring at me and clawing at me with its front arms. The air was cold; I could see the angry breaths it snorted out its nostrils. A red band of metal was wrapped around its forehead; I had a feeling I had seen something similar to it before._

_The last Pokemon, standing in front of the man, I knew right away. It was Blaze. He was glaring at me as well, pawing at the air and snarling at me. Well, snarling was putting it lightly. He was thrashing and barking and spittle was flying from his jaws as he wrestled against some unknown leash, the only thing keeping him from. . . well, attacking _me_. He also had a red crown on his head, but I paid it no notice; I coukdn't bring my gaze away from the look of murder in his eyes, the way he looked with a lust for violence. . . at me._

_"Well, look who it is," Sableye cackled, glancing at the whitecoat. "You know what to do, Marcoh." The man nodded, then turned to the two Pokemon at his feet._

_"Destroy." The two Pokemon, as if suddenly released of thier invisable restrains, lunged at me._

_CRASH!_

I jumped up, startled. The front door was hanging open; Percy was in the doorway, head down and a large bottle hanging loosely in his hand. Without a single word, he slammed the door closed and charged up the stairs, crashing through the door upstairs, as well.

"Wha. . ." I mumbled sleepily, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Percy," Apollo said from above. "He's returned from his weekly trip to the bar, it seems."

"What makes you-" I began, but was interrupted by a deafening cry from above.

"SAAAAARRRRAAAA!" The was a loud bang on the floor upstairs, then silence. I glanced up at Apollo; he shrugged.

"Percy's fiance left him a few months ago," he explained with a sigh. "He does this every time he comes back smashed." I nodded, looking up at the grandfather clock by the door.

It read 4:57 a.m.

"Does. . . does he always come back this. . . early?" I asked, the effects of sleep still wearing off.

"Sometimes later," Apollo shrugged again. "I try not to question how he operates. It's not my business what he does with his business." Apollo tucked his head under his wing again, leaving me lost in my thoughts. Thoughts about this strange duo, thoughts about my dreams, thoughts about the worst part was I was uncertain about all of them. I knew I had to help these two, to help Percy most of all. But what could I do?

I stood up, taking in the dark room. It was horribly messy; I guess the first step to helping Percy would be to clean up. I looked outside the window at the sun, just rising over the horizon. There was no time like the present; I wasn't going to get any sleep anyways. Not after a dream like _that_.

()()()()()()()()()()

Percy emerged from the second floor several hours later, groaning and clutching his head, just as I finished sorting away the last of his papers.

"Urg. . . my head. . ." Percy mumbled, crashing onto the couch. He sat there for a moment before sitting up. "Wait a minute. .. what happened here?" I walked up to him and sat down at his feet, smiling as warmly as I could at him. He watched me for a moment, before asking, "Did. . . did you clean all this?" I nodded, and Percy smiled, scratching my head. "You sure made my job easier, I guess." He patted my head once more before standing up and heading over to the kitchen area. I smiled in satisfaction and took a seat on the couch, sighing in relief. It was just a start, but I'd be damned if it wasn't a good one.

Percy returned, slumping onto the couch next to me, a bottle similar to the one he had the previous night in hand. I gasped and smacked the bottle from his hands, sending it crashing to the floor.

"What the hell was that for!" Percy cried indignantly, then winced and grabbed his head. "I needed that!" I frowned at him, glaring at him straight in the eye. Percy groaned, throwing his arms down. "I know, I know. . . don't give me that look." He sighed, slumping back down onto the couch. "It's just. . . hard, y'know? With Sara leaving and all. . " He looked distant for a minute before looking back at me.

"I'm going into town. Want to come with?" Percy asked, standing up and pulling on a old, worn coat. I nodded, getting up and following him out the door. Apollo showed up a moment later, perching himself on Percy's shoulder.

()()()()()()()()()()

Stormborough was amazing. There was a newly fallen layer of snow, adding a brilliant pearly hue to the whole city. The houses, I correctly assumed, were all similar to Percy's: cozy and made from wood and stone. There were some metal buildings that looked out of place in this maze of stone and timber; shops, workplaces and the like. People strolled lazily about, kids played hapily, and Pokemon roamed carefree. Truly this city was like none other. It was definitely something I had not seen in a long time; safety.

"Oh, stop hesitating," Percy chuckled, grinning at Apollo. "Go say hi to her!" Aollo squaked indignantly, ruffling his feathers. I looked across the street to see who they were talking about; a Staraptor was perched across the street, grooming her feathers. Apollo shifted his feet nervously.

"Go on," I urged him. "What do you have to lose?"

"My dignity," he muttered, swallowing hard.

"Oh, come _on_! You're such a smooth talker, there's no way she won't fall for you!" Apollo turned to me, looking a little more confident.

"You think so, _Signora_?" he asked hesitantly. I nodded.

"Dfinitely. Take it from somone who has seen her share of love and loss." I smiled at him. He nodded, shuffling his feet again.

"Alright, I'll do it," he muttered. He turned to me. "Thank you, Vaporeon. You are a true _amico._"

I smiled. "Call me Christine." Apollo smiled and nodded. ". . . what are you waiting for? Go, go, go!" Apollo nodded again and flapped his great wings, taking off into the air. He circled in the sky once, twice, three times before descending on the other side of the road, landing near the Staraptor.

"You know, for a bird, he's kind of a scaredy-cat," Percy mused. I chuckled. Percy grinned back at me, reaching out and scratching my head. "He's the best, though. We've known each other for years. Practically inseperable, I'd say." I smiled and nodded. I knew the feeling. How quickly those good feelings could be turned around, could be deserted and forgotten. . .

_No!_ I shook my head. _I have to be strong! _ I had to move on, for my sake. It was easier said than done, unfortunately. I sighed. I would just have to get used to it, I s'pose.

"Wait here for a moment," Percy said, patting my head again. I nodded vacantly and he turned and went inside a building, the Pokecenter. Of all the buildings, this one looked the most out of place. Everything else looked outdated, like it had been built fifty years ago. Everything except the Pokecenter, with its sleek metal design and advanced technology it looked like someone dropped something out of science fiction into an unsuspecting village. Of course, I doubted that the buildings really were outdated. This was a very nice city; the homes were probably just as advanced while still retaining the cozy cabin look.

I shivered. It was cold up here, too. Stormborough was built on the highest and northernmost part of the Georie Mountains. Why anyone in their right mind would wish to live was beyond me, but I suppose the view was pretty. The snow completely baffled me. Down south in Darsteel City there rarely was snow of any sort; it was a mildly warm temperature all year. So I didn't know much about snow, but even with my limited experience I figured I shouldn't have a problem with it. After all, it was made from water, the same thing I was.

"Alright, shall we go?" Percy had emerged from the Pokecenter, holding a bag under one arm. I eyed the bag then looked up at Percy. He grinned. "Don't worry, it isn't booze. It's food and painting stuff." He opened the bag up to show me, and sure enough it was filled with packaged food and paint. I nodded, satisfied. Percy glanced back at Apollo, still chatting it up with the Staraptor. "He'll come back later. He knows the way." I nodded and we set off back towards Percy's house.

()()()()()()()()()()

"Alright, stand right here. . ." Percy muttered, showing me the spot. I nodded, standing where he indicated. "Now turn this way a little bit. . . adjust the lighting. . ." He turned me and moved a lamp behind me, shining a bright light down on where I was standing. "Perfect," Percy smiled. "Now just be as still as you can."

When we reached Percy's house, he had said somthing about lighting again and asked if I would pose for a portrait. I figured there was nothing to lose, and hey, if it helped Percy get inspiration for his song, I was willing to help. It also helped that, secretly, I always wanted to be in a painting.

Percy sat down at his easel, glancing up at me every now and again. His brow was furrowed in concentration, completely into his work. Seeing the look on his face, I could tell this was definitely the work he loved. I felt bad for him, going through such a rough time and having it affect his work in such a way. And he had such talent, too. It almost seemed like a waste for him to be troubled in such a way.

This went on for a while, holding still, Percy looking up every so often. Maybe an hour into it Apollo returned, flying in through a large square window high above the front door. I figured it must have been installed for him to come and go.

"How'd it go?" I asked him.

"Wonderful!" Apollo was brimming with enthusiastic energy. He nodded at me. "I could not have done it without you, Christine. Thank you, _Signora_."

Some time later Percy finally sat up and clapped his hands together. "Finished," he sighed. "Want to come take a look?" I nodded and hopped off the couch, stretching out my sleeping legs. I came around to where Percy was sitting, smiling at me.

The painting was _amazing._ It was simple; I saw myself sitting on the couch as I was before. But it was astounding how much detail was put into the painting. Every line, every color, every shadow. . . it was simply too marvelous for words. It was as if I wasn't looking at a painting, but rather _through_ the canvas at the couch itself. He'd not simply captured the moment in this work, he'd captured the very essence of the time itself.

"Like it?" Percy asked, a wide grin on his face. I blinked and realized there were tears in my eyes. I've heard of art that moved people to tears, but I never thought I'd witness it firsthand. I nodded at Percy, smiling back at him. Percy sighed, sitting back and glancing at his wristwatch. he sighed again and stood up. "Should get back to work on that song again. . ." he muttered, once again retrieving his guitar and heading upstairs.

I looked outside the window. The sun was just setting over the city, making the snow sparkle with dazzling brightness. I gasped; the painting must've taken hours for it to have gotten this late!

"Wow. . ." Apollo mumured behind me. He was perched on the back of Percy's chair, examining the new portrait. "Much better than usual. In fact, I'm tempted to say this is his highest quality work." He looked at me. "You've bewitched him, _signora._" I shook my head.

"No, he's just. . . I don't know," I admitted, shrugging. "If my showing up has done something to change him, I suppose I should give him some help. He deserves it, right?"

"Yes. He does, indeed."

()()()()()()()()()()

Thankfully I was not plagued by nightmares that night. It was the first time in a while I didn't have a dream about Blaze or Shadow or Rose, and, in all honesty, I sort of missed seeing them, even if only in my dreams. Plus, I figured my dreams actually happened too often for it to be a coincidence. My dreams gave me glimpses of what was really happening to them, or what would happen. I was sure of it.

I was woken up, though, by noise coming from above my head. Scraping and thumping noises, like something was moving around upstairs. There was a loud _CRASH_, then silence. The silence drew on longer, making me nervous. Slowly, I got to my feet and walked over to the spiral staircase. I gazed up into the darkness, straining my eyes to see what lied ahead. Taking a deep breath, I began to ascend the stairs, only stopping when I reached the top. I pressed my ear against the door at the top of the stairs, trying to hear any sign of life on the other side of the door.

My sleep-depraved mind jumped to conclusions. I realize now that I had nothing to worry about, but back then, as I sat on the top stair, my mind twisted the darkness into horrible tragic conclusions. I couldn't rid my head of thoughts of Percy hanging from the ceiling, or lying dead on the floor. The signs were all there: he was depressed, he was under stress, he was in pain. I don't know why I even thought that he would even _consider_ killing himself. But now. . . I'm glad I did.

Eddie always told me that everything had a reason for happening, that if we trusted fate's design, everything would work out. The same was true for this situation. I didn't know it then, but the moment I opened that door, everything else fell into place.

I nudged open the door with my nose, peering inside. It was a small, circular room, with various instruments scattered about. A messy bed was in the corner, Percy's, I presumed. There was a small table near the bed that held a lamp and a framed photo of Percy and a freckled, redheaded woman. Art supplies, papers, and old bottles littered the room. Drawings of a beautiful woman covered the walls, many of them X'ed out in red paint; the same woman from the photo. I figured she must've been Percy's ex, Sara.

An enormous semicircular window took up an entire portion of the wall, flooding the room with moonlight. In front of the window was a large, powerful telescope, pointed up at the night sky. Percy was huddled in front of it, gazing up at the stars.

"Apollo, what have I said. . ." Pecy looked up, noticed me. "Oh. Hi there." Percy looked around and cleared some space on the floor. "Come on in, come sit down."

I stood in the doorway for a moment, then took a seat next to Percy. He smiled at me. "Sometimes looking up at the moon helps me think." Percy sighed. He turned the telescope towards me. "Would you like a look?" I nodded and peered through the eye of the telescope. I've never looked through anything like that before, and I swear I will never forget the sight as long as I live. If anyone ever reads this, I would definitely suggest taking a closer look at the moon some day. It's the only way of really expressing how beautiful our heavenly bodies looked up close.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Percy asked. I nodded, taking one last look through the telescope before sitting up. I noticed Percy was watching me. When I turned to look back at him, a bright smile spread across his face. I raised an eyebrow. "The moon is amazing, you know? It has a way of shedding light things that would have gone otherwise unnoticed." I blinked sleepily at him and yawned. Percy chuckled.

"Get some sleep, little one." I smiled at him, his pet name bringing back fond memories of my days back at Sam's house. Percy stood up and carefully picked me up in both arms and held me close for a moment, then set me carefully down on his bed. My eyes drooped heavily, eagerly awaiting getting some good rest at last.

"Good night, my inspiration," I heard Percy say as he closed the door.

Or maybe I didn't.

()()()()()()()()()()

The sun was shining brightly in my face when I came to. No nightmares again, which meant I finally got a decent night's sleep. I yawned and stretched out my legs, stepping down from Percy's bed. I could vaguely recall the events of the previous night; but I realy didn't care to remember at the moment. I nudged open the door and descended the spiral staircase, almost running into the big tarp at the bottom.

I checked again; yup, it was really there. A gigantic tarp had been a big pole on the ceiling, almost like a curtain. It covered an entire wall, the mural wall, completely blocking it from view.

"Wha. . .?" I wondered aloud, walking around the tarp.

"Hold on, I'm almost finished!" Percy's voice came from the other side.

"Finished?" I asked, confused. Apollo chuckled.

"You'll see, Christine. I'm sure you'll be surprised." Apollo smiled, but left it at that. Frustrated that I didn't know what was going on, I plopped down outside the tarp.

"We're going to leave for Serenity today." Percy was talking from the other sie of the barrier. "It's your choice whether you want to come with or not. I just wanted to show this to you beforehand, in case this is our last goodbye." How could I possibly decide today? My hart was torn in two on the subject; should I stay in safety, or go and try to make everything right? I looked at Apollo, but he did not pay me any mind. I sighed. This would be a tough desicion. After a bit of waiting, Percy finally poked his head from behind the curtain.

"Ready for this?" Percy asked, a big grin on his face. I nodded irritably. Percy nodded, then pulled down the tarp. "Tada!"

. . . I was left completely speechless. The beautiful mural that was on the wall was finished, and it was amazing. I had seen many, _many_ beautiul things in the time I had been here, but none of it even compared to this work of art. Percy must have been up all night completing it. The mural itself was unchanged for the most part, with the exception of a bright silver orb, the moon, that had been placed high in the sky, shedding a beam of light down on the scene. The man was still on his knees in awe, reaching out towards. . .

I gasped. There was no way I could have ever believed what I was seeing if I wasn;t just two feet in front of it. The man was reaching out. . . towards me. Or, at least, a vaporeon-esque being. A long, robed blue creature, bathed in a beam of light with wide white wings like an angel's. A shining halo crowned its head. No matter what way you looked at it, his source of inspiration was clear; he based the angel. . . off of me.

"Like it?" Percy asked. As if he needed an aswer. The look on my face gave it all away. Percy chuckled. "You've just. . . done so much to help me in the last couple of days. You've helped me turn my life around, helped me find my inspiration." He reached behind him and pulled out his guitar. "There's one last surprise. All of this. . . it doesn't even come close to showing you how grateful I am." He smiled one last time, strummed his guitar, and began to sing,

"_You know our love was meant to be._

_The kind of love that lasts forever._

_And I need you here with me_

_From tonight until the end of time._

_You should know, everywhere I go,_

_You're always on my mind, in my heart,_

_In my soul._

_You're the meaning in my life,_

_You're the inspiration._

_You bring feeling to my life,_

_You're the inspiration. . ._"

I couldn't help but feel elated about all of this. I help two souls in the last couple of days. I brought happiness to this quirky duo. And it really felt good. Better than I had felt in a long time. I didn't do it to be placed in a painting, or to inspire a song, but for the sole purpose of helping these two in need. All this warmth I felt, it made me want to go out and change things, to make everything good again.

And as I listened to Percy play his song, I knew deep in my heart what I wanted to do.

I was going to Serenity.

**A/N: Wow, loooong chapter this time. Thanks for bearing through that with me. **

**So, please review! I'd really like to know what you think about the way this story is going! I have plans already for what I'm going to do after the conclusion to these stories, but I need to know if you people will still be interested by then. Thanks!**

**Oh, and the songs were **_**Paint it Black**_** by the Rolling Stones and **_**You're the Inspiration**_** by Chicago.**


	11. My mate, my foe

A/N:

**A/N: So, I've got some tests coming up in a few days to see if I have DID. Keep your fingers crossed, people! **

**Because of this, I ask that you leave a review now because it may be a while before I can update, and I'd like to know what you all think now. With any luck, I may be able to get some more work done within all this busyiness.**

**Enjoy!**

_There he was. Standing in front of me. _

_Blaze. Plain as day. I would have wanted nothing more than to just be with him again, had I not been in the situation I was._

_"Blaze!" I found myself shouting, tears running down my cheeks. "How could you do this? After all they've done to us, done to me!"_

_"Hrah," he grunted, not taking his eyes off mine. They weren't the same eyes I had once known; they were angry, feral. "It was easy. Their side is more fun."_

_"Think of all the people they've hurt!" I cried, my voice straining. "Bella, Azmaria, Isaac, Percy, Kikka, me. . . don't become that, Blaze! I know you don't want to be a monster like them!" Blaze shook his head, chuckling._

_"It's too late for that, Christine," he said, taking a step closer. I could practically feel his warmth now; and how I missed that feeling of security! But now that familiar warmth was threatening to burn me. The thought made my heart sink even further. "I've never really cared about you, y'know. It all started that first day we met; I knew what I had in mind for you."_

_And with those few simple words, my world completely shattered. I stared at Blaze for a long time, trying to find my voice. "No. . ." I murmured softly. "No, I refuse to believe that you planned this!"_

_Blaze laughed. Full out, no bars held _laughed._ As if I had just told the funniest joke ever told. "Refuse to believe?" He grinned, recovering from his laughter. "You think _that_ will change anything?" He took another step forward; I could feel his hot breath in my face. "No, you want to hear the truth? The moment I saw you whimpering after you stole that goddamn sandwich, I knew. I thought to myself, 'She's the one. She'll be easy enough.'" _

_"Blaze. . ."_

_He chuckled again. "I didn't think it'd actually go this far, though." He shook his head. "What a guy will do for some tail, eh?"_

_"No." I refused to believe what he was saying. He was acting so . . . so wrong! This wasn't like him at all. And worst of all, he was awakening feelings towards him that I never wanted to feel in my life. "No, Blaze. . . stop it!" I cried, feeling it welling up inside me, threatening to burst from my chest. I wanted to let it out so badly, but it horrified me to even think that I would ever feel this way._

_"Blaze, stop it!" Blaze mocked in a high pitched voice, laughing. "Oh, you are just _pathetic_. It's a wonder I put up with you so long." I could feel it rising, the insatiable rage. Blaze noticed. "Aw, what are you going to do? Hurt me?"_

_And then it peaked. I couldn't keep it in any longer. As much as it hurt me, there was nothing I could do. There was no looking back any longer. "Yup."_

_I attacked._

()()()()()()()()()()

"Blaze!" I shouted, jolting up. I looked around me frantically, panting heavily. Apollo was watching me with a quizzical look not far away. I grinned at him sheepishly, waving a paw at him. "Heh. . . sorry, just had a bad dream."

"Are you okay, Christine?" The bird asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, it happens a lot. Don't worry." Apollo looked unconvinced but returned to his sleep anyways.

We left that same day after some quick packing and preparing. We set out very soon afterwards, heading one last time through Stormborough. At the entrance to the city I turned around and said goodbye to it; I knew what I was giving up by leaving, but I also knew it was for the best. After all, I still had things I didn't understand about Beyond.

At was an uneventful day, for the most part. We followed the main route out of Stormborough, which would lead us through the capital, Metro, and eventually to the seaside Port Serenity on the southern coast. We traveled the whole day, only stopping to take frequent breaks and finally we stopped at a small town for the night. We took up board at a hotel where, I had just realized, was where we still were.

Percy flipped onto his side in his sleep, causing the bed to rock. He and I both slept on the bed, I at the foot, while Apollo roosted on the windowsill. I glanced at the small digital clock on the bedside table; it was almost 2 am. I sighed and shifted my weight in an attempt to get comfortable, then tried in vain to get more sleep.

Percy shook me gently awake a few hours later. "C'mon, we had better hit the road. We want to leave before the sun gets too high." I nodded and stretched, rolling off the bed. We made our preparations and paid for our stay, a routine all too familiar to me now. We set out once again down the road, passing through the small town and back into the mountains. The road would eventually take us through the mountains, across the region, through a few cities, and over the Clearspring River again on the way to Serenity Bay. Needless to say, we still had a long way to go.

I only held solace in the fact that the long journey gave my ample time to think. Thinking about the future, about Beyond, about Blaze. Especially Blaze. I still could not even begin to understand his motives. I remembered my dream; could he really have just been in it for the sex? Could. . . could he really just be some manipulative fiend who unwittingly saw his chance one day?

No. I refused to believe it. Dreams be damned, I didn't care if they were prophesy or not. I was determined to make sure this one didn't come true. I couldn't simply just let go of Blaze. I loved him! I felt empty without him by my side; I missed him so much it _hurt_.

I sighed. I guess. . . all I could do at this point was move on. Forgive him and leave it all behind me. As hard as it would be, I could overcome it. I just needed to end the pain. Wherever he was right now, whether with Azmaria or whatever. . . I just hoped he was happy.

"Hm?" Percy stopped, looked up at Apollo, who was perched on his shoulder. "What is it, Apollo?" The bird was staring straight ahead, eyes locked on something further down the road.

"A group of Pokemon," he muttered, training his powerful eyes on the spot. "One of them is in trouble." With a beat of his great wings, Apollo flew up high into the air.

"Apollo?" Percy looked down at me. "Is it something bad?" I nodded, then took off down the road after Apollo. I saw what Apollo was talking about; a group of black, humanoid Pokemon was standing in a circle around a writhing form. There were three of the black Pokemon, each of them had long claws and had one pointed pink ear that made them look like some sort of lopsided rabbit. But there was no mistaking it: they were dark types. Probably affiliated with the Dark Gang.

Apollo was circling in the sky above them when I arrived on the spot. The three Pokemon were all tormenting the creature between them, shouting threats and kicking at it.

"Hey!" I shouted, immediately grabbing the attention of all three of them. The lead one growled at me. "Leave him alone!"

"You'd be wise to stay out of our business," one of the Pokemon hissed. "Do you know who we are?"

"Enlighten me," I snapped back, lowering myself into a defensive stance. The lead Pokemon grinned, planting his feet and placing his hands on his hips.

"We're part of the Dark Gang," he grinned triumphantly. "So. . . if you don't want to disappear, I'd suggest you move along." His companions grinned, joining him on either side.

"Dark. . . Gang?" I muttered. Their claim surprised me. They were so quick to give away their identity, and they were so blunt about it! It was perplexing; the Dark Gang had never been this bold before! There was always the chance that they were lying, but I didn't believe that they would lie about something like that.

"Surely you know of us?" The first one taunted, holding out one clawed hand. "We're more powerful than you could ever imagine. We're not a force to be messed with."

"Sneasel," Percy huffed, having finally caught up with me. "Common in the mountains, but usually higher up." Percy stood up, looking the three Dark Pokemon over. "And never in groups. Something's fishy." He glanced at me, giving me a look. I nodded; the meaning was clear. There was going to be a fight.

"Oh, I am truly sorry!" I exclaimed innocently, glaring at the center Sneasel. "I didn't realize a bunch of thugs like you are what pass for as 'more powerful than I could ever imagine'."

"Why you-"

"Let me tell you one thing," I said calmly, taking another step towards the Dark Pokemon. "I've seen what the Dark Gang can do. I've seen real power. You," I glanced at each one individually, "are not it. Now, get out of our way, leave this poor Pokemon here, and never show your faces again."

"You. . . you bitch!" The first Sneasel swung his claws at me, but one of his companions held him back.

"Hey, maybe we should back off," the Sneasel said reasonably. "I have a bad feeling about this one."

"Silence, Nathala." The lead Sneasel brushed his companion aside, taking a step forward and stroking my face with a clawed hand. "What could she possibly do? We outnumber her."

"Think again!" Apollo chose that moment to dive down, unleashing a Sky Attack on one of the unsuspecting Dark Gang thugs. He slammed his full weight into the Sneasel, then grabbed its arms in his talons, swooping the Pokemon up and dropping him down a distance away.

Percy nudged me with his foot. "Can you fight?" he asked. I nodded. "Good." Percy stepped behind me, pointing at our opponents. "Hydro Pump!"

As if his words were some sort of catalyst, I felt a great surge of water building in my chest. I smirked smarmily at Sneasel, then unleashed the full power of my attack, blasting both at once with a powerful jet of water.

"Ack! Pftph!" The two Pokemon struggled to their feet, the leader glaring daggers at me.

"C'mon," the one called Nathala said, tugging on the leader's arm. "Let's go. The boss will want to know." Nathala whispered something in the commander's ear, getting a shocked reaction from the leader.

"We'll be back!" the leader shouted at me, glaring. "You've not heard the last of us, Project Christine." The Sneasels took off, leaving Percy and I. Apollo fluttered down, landing on Percy's shoulder.

"Good job, you two." Percy patted my head. I just nodded blankly. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen that Sneasel, Nathala, somewhere before. In fact, all three of them looked vaguely familiar. It was confusing, to say the least.

I heard a groan from nearby. It was the Pokemon the Sneasels were abusing. I snuck up beside it, being careful not to startle it. It was long and wormlike, with jet black scales and strange, yellow markings. It was curled up in a curious defensive position, trembling slightly. Upon seeing the poor creature, my nifty maternal instinct kicked in.

"There, there. . ." I cooed, curling up beside it. "We won't harm you. The bad Pokemon are gone. Shhh. . ." The Pokemon chanced a glance up at me; its face further displayed snakelike features, with stubby red fangs and a long serpentine, forked tongue. What took me by surprise most, though, where its eyes. They had brilliant red, triagular markings around them, but its irises were completely white. "Oh, you poor thing. . ." The creature made some sound like a combination of a purr and a hiss and curled up closer to my body.

"Huh. A Seviper." Percy squatted down next to us, running a hand along the snake's side. "A juvenile, too. I wonder what one is doing up in the mountains." Percy shrugged and scooped up the Seviper in his arms, running a hand soothingly down the creature's side.

"Is it so wise to take it with us?" Apollo eyed the snake warily, then looked at me. "They are dangerous, after all."

"It needs our help," I stated simply. "You saw the way those thugs were treating her." Apollo shrugged, but still didn't take his eyes off the snake. Couldn't blame him, though. The Seviper was the predator to his prey. I couldn't see this ending in a positive way.

()()()()()()()()()()

Of course, no matter how bad things got, they could always be worse.

We continued down the main road for some time, stopping even more frequently to care for the small injured Seviper. I figured that it was young, but not incredibly so. Perhaps the human equivalent of an adolescent, or perhaps a young teen. Luckily, it didn't need much; just the occasional stop for water. It slept in Percy's arms through most of the trip.

It was getting late in the day. The Seviper had slowed us down a little, so the town we had planned on staying out was not yet in sight. Still, we persevered.

I wasn't sure what stopped us first. Whether we saw them in the road, or they stopped us with an attack. Even now, as my story is recorded, the details remain unclear. I was too busy comprehending other things; after all, it's not often that your greatest fears are realized.

It was them. From my dream. Standing right in the middle of the road was the whitecoat, his horned Pokemon at his side, and the small, familiar figure floating above his shoulder. I couldn't draw my eyes away from them.

They spoke. I didn't hear what they said, but it didn't matter. I could recite what they said, anyways, I had gone over that moment so many times in my head. But I still could not get over that one thing, the same thing that had bothered me, even in my dream.

That look. That glare of absolute hatred in his eyes. It struck me in ways that nothing had ever before. That look that showed his intentions: he wanted to kill me.

Blaze. I didn't know what happened after he left. It was days ago. I could've sworn he said he was going to Azmaria, but I could've been wrong. I mean, the one who was my loving mate not a week ago was fighting invisible bonds just to attack me; nothing was certain anymore.

The whitecoat grinned. He gave the command.

"Destroy."


	12. A Reunion of Two

**A/N: Ugh, not a whole lot to say. Kinda feeling down lately. School and such. Same old song and dance.**

**Got my DID test back; results were positive. I don't really know how to feel about it; it's more of a nuisance than something actually threatening. Still, the whole ordeal's thrown me for a loop.**

**Eh, you probably don't care about my issues. Let's get back to Christine's then, shall we?  
**

It was a blur. The entire fight went by so quickly, it was almost surreal. The minute Blaze and the other Pokemon charged forward, everything seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time. Blaze came at top speed straight at me, but I somehow managed to sidestep his attack at the last second. A quick sideways glance showed me that Percy and Apollo were busy with the horned Pokemon. That just left Blaze and I.

"Blaze!" I shouted at him. I don't know why, I knew it would do no good. Still, I had to try. "It's me!" Blaze seemed to hesitate for a moment, but the snarl quickly returned to his face. He puffed out his chest, then opened his mouth wide and shot a pillar of flame at me; I quickly did the same, instead shooting a jet of water. The two attacks collided, causing them to dissipate into steam.

"Blaze, you don't need to do this!" I cried. Sableye cackled from behind me, causing me to look back at her for a split second. But in that split second Blaze made his move. He pounced and we went rolling across the ground, heads over heels. During the tumble I managed to smash my head against a rock, sending the whole world into a tailspin as I blacked out for a moment. Blaze took the opportunity to stand above me, pinning me down.

"Blaze?" I asked meekly. He grinned, twisting his maw into a vicious smile. It sent a shudder down my spine just to see it. I knew what was coming next.

"Not anymore," he growled, opening his jaws wide. I closed my eyes, bracing for the worst.

()()()()()()()()()()

"Sky attack!" Percy shouted. Apollo took his aim at the horned Pokemon below, tucked in his wings, and dove from the sky. He hit the horned Pokemon square in the chest, knocking it on his back. It wasn't out, though; it got up again almost instantly, stamping its feet angrily. Percy sighed. There was no stopping these Pokemon; they seemed stronger than usual Pokemon. Angrier, too.

There was a chilling laugh from behind; Percy turned just in time to see the Vaporeon get thrown onto her back by the Growlithe.

"Dammit," Percy mumbled, turning around. "Apollo, we need to go help-" He just barely had time to duck beneath the horned Pokemon's punch, aimed right for his head. "Whoa, shit!" This crazy Pokemon was attacking him! Apollo swooped down, clawing at the horned Pokemon with his sharp talons. The horned Pokemon wasn't fazed, though; it whipped around and grabbed Apollo in a tight bear hug. Apollo struggled, but could not free himself of the strong Pokemon's grasp. Their foe was soon squeezing tighter and tighter, forcing the breath from Apollo's lungs and slowly crushing his chest.

"Apollo, drill peck!" Percy commanded, jumping up to his feet. The bird's beak began glowing softly; he threw his head back with the last of his strength and brought it down on the horned Pokemon's forehead, shattering the red metal crown around its head. The horned Pokemon staggered backwards, dropping Apollo, then toppled over onto its back. There was no time for celebration, though, as a loud howl from the Vaporeon brought Percy back to his senses. "Apollo, we need to help Vaporeon! Whirlwind!"

()()()()()()()()()()

I should have died. I felt as he clamped his teeth around my throat. His powerful jaws squeezing down tightly, blocking my airway. There was no way I was going to live. I was going to die, here, at the hands of my mate. And with the remaining breath I could draw, I screamed.

But it didn't end there. There was a sudden, powerful gust of wind and Blaze was lifted off of me and blown away. I gasped, savoring every bit of air I could get. Slowly I rolled over onto my stomach and rose to my feet, checking for injury. Somehow, I had escaped the ordeal unharmed.

"Are you okay, _Signora_?" Apollo landed beside me, looking me over with a concerned eye. Still unable to find my voice, I just nodded. "Are you hurt?" I swallowed, looking up sadly at the bird.

"Only inside," I managed to squeak. Apollo looked confused for a moment, then nodded.

"So he is. . .?" He asked. I nodded. "I see. Would you like me to-" I shook my head, stepping in front of him.

"No," I said, my strength returning. "No, this is my fight. See to Percy." Apollo nodded and took off. I turned back to Blaze, who had picked himself back to his feet. He shook his head, his gaze falling back upon me. He chuckled.

"Don't know when to quit, eh?" he sneered, shifting his feet. I shook my head, planting my own feet firmly on the ground. Blaze smirked then charged forward, spewing flames from his mouth. I ducked off to the side, behind a rock, trying to formulate a plan. I wasn't sure how I could bring myself to attack him, but he was trying to kill me! I nodded; there was nothing left to do but go on the offensive.

Using the rock as a boost, I leapt high in the air, blasting a powerful jet of water at Blaze. He sidestepped the attack, jumped up into the air and knocked me to the ground. He landed near me and grinned, showing his bright white fangs.

"I've got you now," he chuckled. I took the opportunity to whip my tail out beneath his legs and knock him into his back, then quickly jumped to my feet and stood over him. He watched me in surprise for a moment, before frowning. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

I just watched him for a moment, taking it all in. "Why?" I asked meekly after a long moment. "Why'd you do it?" Tears began forming in my eyes; I tried to shake them away. But all it did was make Blaze's grin grow bigger.

"You're hesitating," he shook his head. "What are you waiting for? Finish it." I looked him straight in the eye and tried to summon the strength to attack, but I couldn't bring myself to it. I. . . I just couldn't attack him. I loved him, for goodness' sake! Blaze shook his head again, chuckling softly. "Too slow."

Blaze place a paw against my chest and pushed hard, throwing me onto my back while at the same time swinging himself up so he was standing above me. He shook his head. "Now, where were we?" he muttered, opening his jaws wide.

And, just like the previous time, he was tackled off of me by a powerful force, but this time it wasn't Apollo's doing. In that split second I saw a flash of bluish fur; it took me a moment to realize that the horned Pokemon had just saved me.

_What are you doing, you little whelp! _Sableye cried, throwing her arms up into the air. Beside her, the whitecoat laughed. The ghost glared at him. _What's so funny?_

"It seems the tables have turned, Sableye," the whitecoat said, folding his arms across his chest. The horned Pokemon had made its way back to the whitecoat's side, and was holding its fists out in front of it. "You have no more sway here. You lose."

Sableye clenched and unclenched her fists, glaring angrily between the whitecoat, Percy, and I. _Damn, _Sableye shook her head, then pointed at Blaze. _You, dog. Get up!_ Blaze got slowly up to his feet and went to the ghost's side. With a snap of her fingers and one last glare, Sableye disappeared with Blaze. I slumped into a sitting position, took a deep breath, then broke down sobbing.

After a few moments, I felt Apollo place a wing on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I'm so sorry _Sig _- er, Christine," Apollo cooed, holding me closer. "But it's all over now." I nodded, leaning in closer. His body felt warm; it was comforting. It reminded me of Blaze.

Someone knelt down in front of me; I looked up and saw the whitecoat's expressionless face looking back "Are you okay, Christine?" he asked softly, leaving me completely dumbstruck. What was up with this guy's behavior? I thought all whitecoats were out to get me!

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Percy demanded, stepping between the whitecoat and I. "And what do you want with the Vaporeon?" The whitecoat stood up, looked Percy up and down, then sighed.

"Yes, I do suppose I owe you an apology," he said, adjusting his glasses. "First you must understand something about this Pokemon-" he indicated me. "She's not a Pokemon. Just the opposite in fact; she's very human."

Percy just stared at the whitecoat, slack-jawed, unable to come up with an intelligent response. Instead, he just muttered, "Say what?"

The whitecoat chuckled. "This is Christine. Or Project Christine, as she was called." Percy's apparent look of confusion didn't change, so the whitecoat explained, "She was an experiment. . . she was turned into a Pokemon."

Percy's gaze drifted down to me, and he just stared for a moment. "So, you're really. . .?" I nodded. Percy stared for another moment before his face turned bright red. "So you. . . ohmygaw- I'm sorry, if I had known-" He wisely chose to quit talking there. The whitecoat placed a hand on his shoulder and led him away, explaining the situation in more detail.

"A human?" Apollo asked. I smiled and nodded. The bird chuckled. "Huh. I knew there was something odd about you." He smiled and took off again, flying over to where Percy and the whitecoat were talking. Without warning, I was grabbed from behind in an almost suffocating grip- I realized it must have been the horned Pokemon. I figured it was making an attempt on my life again and began struggling before I remembered it saved me in the first place.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again!" the horned Pokemon exclaimed. It released me from its grip- which occurred to me that it was simply a hug- and turned me around in its arms so that I was facing it. Upon seeing my face, the Pokemon frowned. "Aw, you don't remember me?" I shook my head slowly; the Pokemon laughed. "I didn't think you would. I've changed, after all."

Right then, something clicked. This Pokemon was awfully familiar- a Dark Gang Pokemon with bluish, almost scale-like fur and a tan belly, and a small horn between its eyes. I noticed that the Pokemon- a she, I realized seeing her up close, had the remnants of a jagged pink scar running along her side. There was no mistaking it.

"Bella?" I asked, receiving a wide smile from the Pokemon. "Bella Rose? Is it really you?" I asked again, mostly in disbelief. I hadn't thought of her in so long; I thought she may have been killed after being taken away by Sableye. But it seemed they trained and even evolved her! I inwardly smacked myself on the forehead for not realizing she was a Nidoqueen earlier.

"It's been so long Christine!" Bella exclaimed gleefully, squeezing me in another tight hug. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

"I'm glad to see you too," I said, struggling to draw breath in her grip. Bella realized this and released me, setting me down on the ground. "You've really changed," I quipped. "Gotten stronger, too."

Bella giggled. "Yeah, well. . ." she murmured sheepishly, looking around. "Hey. . . where's Blaze?"

I frowned. "What do you mean? You tackled him," I pointed out. Bella looked confused for a moment, then her eyes grew wider than I ever they could ever grow.

"That was- I'm so sorry, Christine! If I had known, really, I wouldn't have-"

"Bella," I interrupted, a thought occurring. "Bella, do. . . do you remember what happened?"

"Happened with what?"

It was as I thought. She didn't know what happened. She had no memory of attacking us. It was as if she had been under some sort of spell, a glamour cast by Beyond.

"Project Christine!" It was the whitecoat. He had apparently finished explaining the situation to a now embarrassed-looking Percy and made his way over to me. He knelt down beside me and rested a hand on my head. I stiffened at his touch; I still didn't totally trust him. "I must thank you for helping Bella Rose. Er, I should start from the beginning, shouldn't I?" I nodded. The whitecoat took a deep breath.

"My name is Isaac. Isaac Marcoh, I'm the head of research for Beyond incorporated. I was in charge of your. . . um, project. I was also in charge of a. . . project involving your son." My first reaction at the mention of Shadow was to bite the guy's damn hand off. After all, if my dreams were to be believed, he shot my Shadow! However, the whitecoat raised his hands defensively and shook his head. "I assure you, he and his little band of friends are perfectly fine. In fact, I helped to throw Beyond's trail off them for a while.

"You see, I do not agree with the way Beyond is going. As hard as it is to imagine, Beyond used to be an honest company. That's why I wanted to seek you out; I think, with your help, I can stop Beyond."

"Hold on a minute," Percy said crossly, stepping between me and the whitecoat. "Give me one good reason why I should believe you. If you work with the people you say you do-"

"_Worked_," the whitecoat corrected him.

"Whatever! The point is: we can't trust you." Percy folded his arms, staring the former scientist down. The whitecoat sighed and rummaged through his coat pocket for a moment before pulling from it a red shard of metal.

"See this?" The whitecoat asked, holding it up to Percy. "This is a piece of the crown that was around Bella's head. The Growlithe had one, too."

Percy shrugged. "So?"

"So," the whitecoat insisted, not to be undermined, "this thing is one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology on the face of the earth." The whitecoat stood up, shoving the metal object in front of Percy's face. "These crowns take control of the Pokemon they are forced upon. They are completely helpless to Beyond's demands. When your bird destroyed the crown on Bella's head, she was free from Beyond's control, and I was free to finally break free of the wretched company as well. Satisfied?"

Percy just stared at him; obviously horrified. His look was similar to mine, except I remembered what the whitecoat had said: 'The Growlithe had one, too'. Did that mean Blaze had been controlled?

"That's horrible!" Percy exclaimed. The whitecoat just nodded his agreement.

"That's not even the worst of it," said the whitecoat. He shrugged, pocketing the shard of metal.

"What?" Percy asked, obviously shocked beyond belief. He shook his head and reach out as if for looking for something to help support him. "What could possibly be worse than _that_!"

The whitecoat turned deadly serious. I knew in that instant that this man had seen a lot of travesties; no, had he even been responsible for some. He looked Percy directly in the face. "At least with the red band you don't know what you are doing." The whitecoat shook his head morosely and, as if that thought was not mysterious and morbid enough, he shrugged. "You've not even begun to scratch the surface. This incident with Beyond goes back several years and spans many projects. And without me, you will never have a chance to stop them."

Percy was silent for a moment. He looked at the whitecoat, then at Bella, then at Apollo, then finally at me. "What do you think?" he asked, stepping aside. "Can we trust him?"

It was a difficult question. I mean, he _was_ a whitecoat. The one in charge of turning me into a Pokemon in the first place, no less! And he mentioned Shadow; there was still that possibility that he hurt my son! Still, he had Bella, and she seemed to trust him. And Bella _had_ been acting hostile with the crown on, so it could be assumed that the whitecoat was telling the truth. Perhaps he really did want to see to Beyond's downfall. And he knew the whole story, too. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed this whitecoat's help.

I nodded at Percy. He looked unsure for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess it's your decision. Hell, you may have a better reason than I could ever imagine. You were human after all." Satisfied, Percy gave me one last look, then returned to Apollo to tend to the bird's injuries.

"Thank you, Christine," Bella said. "Isaac is nice, really. He has everyone's best interest in mind. He wants to stop Beyond as much as you do."

As if on cue, the whitecoat, Isaac, squatted down in front of me once again. He looked different this time; a soft smile was spread thin across his face. It was. . . comforting, actually. I realized that I may have just made a very good decision.

"Thank you for believing in me, proj- er, Christine. I know it must have been a hard choice to make, considering." He patted Bella on the head and stood up. "I know I'll need your help to defeat Beyond, and you'll need mine. Besides, I need to repay you both for saving Bella. I'll help you get your mate back, I promise." With one last nod of approval, Isaac the surprisingly kind whitecoat left Bella and I alone. I sighed.

"I'm really sorry, Christine," Bella said softly. She needn't explain herself; I knew why she was sympathizing with me so much. "About Blaze. It must be so hard for you."

I nodded sadly. "But, he had one of those crowns, right? That must mean he was under Beyond's control. So he. . . he really didn't-" I couldn't finish the sentence, I was beginning to choke up. The sudden thought that Blaze still loved me, that he had no choice! It. . . it was wonderful. I sniffed and wiped the tears forming in my eyes. I noticed, though, that Bella was looking comprehensive, shifting her weight uncomfortably. Almost as if she knew something that she wasn't telling. "Bella? What. . . are you hiding something from me?"

Bella frowned and looked up to the sky. "No, it's just a thought. . ." she muttered. She must have figured it was important, because she looked back down at me. "No, you're right. They must have put the crown on his head when they captured him, right?" She smiled reassuringly. However, I was anything but assured.

Blaze hadn't had the crown on when he left. I never even thought of that. It was almost too hard to believe; after that moment of elation, I find that it may not be true?

I shook my head. "No. . ." I murmured. "No, he didn't. He didn't have a crown."

Bella's eyes widened. "So, he went will-" She clamped her hands over her mouth, realizing what she had almost said to me. I slumped to the ground, defeated. "Well, what do you think, Christine?"

"I don't even know what to think anymore," I sighed. "I don't even know. What if he did it willingly? What if he really meant everything he said?"

Bella scooped me up in her arms and helped me to my feet. "Hey, don't think that way. You've got to keep up hope, right?"

"I don't know. . ."

"C'mon, let's not worry about that for now." Bella nodded sagely. "You've just gotta hope. In the meantime, Isaac will find him for you. You can find out then." She smiled. "Think you'll make it?"

I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes for a moment. She was right, after all. I shouldn't give up hope now, not now that I was practically on my way to stopping Beyond! And there was still the chance that Blaze was trapped beneath Beyond's will. For now I could only hope.

The fluttering of wings alerted me to Apollo's presence. And landed beside us, shaking out his wings experimentally. "Are you two ready? The humans have discussed the situation; we are off to the capitol."

Bella looked at me. I nodded.

"Nowhere left to go now but forward," I said with a smile.

**A/N: Oy, I had this part of the story planned out, but something happened along the way and messed it up a bit. It feels. . . I dunno. Rushed. It didn't turn out the way I wanted. Oh well.**

**So, I believe the number of reviews I get reflects my will to write. So, if you want shorter update times (and hopefully better written chapters ), tell me what you think! Please?**


	13. The Lake of Tears

**Author's Note: Wow, so busy, but so little to do that actually serves any purpose. Oh, well.**

**I am incredibly proud to be liked by as many people as I am. I am glad that I actually have a decent number of fans, but most of all I am happy that I can improve their life, even if only a bit, with my stories. A big thank you to all my fans out there!**

**One such fan has been completely above and beyond (mind the pun). He hasn't been with me since the beginning, but he picked up the series and has never left me alone about it since. Not that it's a bad thing. I love receiving emails from people who read my stories. It's always great to have feedback.**

**Anyways, this one crazed fan celebrated a birthday. . . well, a while ago, and I promised him that, as a belated birthday present, I would include a special something for him in this chapter. Well, here you go: hope ya like it, Wolvesatyourdoor! Sorry 'bout the wait!**

I had never been to the capitol before, so I didn't really know what to expect. Hell, I barely knew where the city was, much less what it looked like. As such, I wasn't prepared for the long day of traveling we had ahead of us. We were all fairly silent during the walk; Apollo taking to the sky above us, Percy heading up the group with the Seviper in his arms. The whitecoat trailed behind them, looking completely lost in his own thoughts. Sometimes Bella would go up and interact with him, but most of the time she walked alongside me, not saying a word but giving me odd, sideways glances every once in a while.

"Are you okay?" Bella muttered finally after a long, arduous silence.

I was about to lie and said I was fine, but I figured it didn't make any difference. She'd probably notice my twitching ears, anyways. "Honestly. . .? No, I'm not. There's a lot on my mind."

"Well? C'mon," Bella insisted, nudging my side. "Speak." She nudged me again when I didn't respond.

"It's Blaze," I sighed. "Everything is suddenly so. . . so complicated. I don't know what to think."

"Christine, I'm sure everything will be fine," Bella reassured me. "It doesn't help to worry about it nonstop."

"I know, you're right," I sighed. Of course she was right. When did she get so darn smart? "But. . . I can't help but wonder. I mean, what if he really meant what he said?"

"Christine," Bella said sternly, gripping my shoulders. "Do you trust Blaze?"

"Er, yeah," I answered, wide-eyed by the sudden questioning.

"Trust him with your life?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"And do you love him?"

"Of course!"

Bella nodded sagely. "Then everything will be okay. Just have hope." She smiled reassuringly then turned to catch up again with her owner. I thought about what she said for a moment, then ran to catch up with her.

"-some sort of meeting," the whitecoat was saying to Bella. "It does not bode well." Bella nodded. The whitecoat noticed me arrive and smiled grimly. "I am glad you decided to come with, Christine. Beyond's got a big building in the capitol where they do their business transactions. I figured that if any place was a good place to start their downfall, it was there."

I nodded, going over the thought in my head. It was a strange feeling; it was exciting to finally have some headway, but I was afraid to face what lay ahead. Blaze, my children, Beyond themselves. . . it was almost to much to bear.

"Something wrong?" Bella asked. I shook my head.

"Nah, just. . . conflicted. I don't know how I should feel."

Bella looked confused. "Isn't this what you wanted, though? To defeat Beyond?"

"It is, but-" I stopped, deciding that Bella didn't need to worry, as well. This was my problem, not hers.

"Christine?" Bella sounded concerned. She caught up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. "Christine, what's- whoa!" She came to a complete halt, looking up. I followed her gaze; the path we were taking suddenly came to the mouth of a large tunnel. The path had descended up to here, to the point where we were about even with the riverbank now. The rush of the river was loud and very clear now; we had to speak loudly to be heard over it.

"The land pass," Isaac explained, "many travelers have walked this path." He turned to face the group, looking serious. "Be careful in this tunnel. It's like a labyrinth maze of paths. It's very easy to get lost."

"Are you sure this is the correct path?" Percy asked, peering deeply into the mouth of the tunnel. He pulled a flashlight from his backpack and shone it down into the tunnel; it was so dark and long, the end of the beam was not visible. "It seems awfully treacherous."

The scientist shrugged. "Perhaps, but it's currently the only way to exit the mountains without a helicopter." Without another moment of hesitation Isaac stepped down into the tunnel, Bella soon stepping in after him. Percy shot me a look and shrugged, then followed the pair with Apollo perched on his shoulder. I took one last look around, sighed, and plunged into the dark cavern.

()()()()()()()()()()

The progress through the dark tunnel was slow. Often times we would bump into walls or get stuck in dead ends and have to backtrack. Percy's flashlight helped some, but not enough to make a difference. It soon became obvious that the irritating trek was putting everyone on edge.

"Ooh, I stubbed my toe on a rock. . ."

"Ow! Bella, that's my foot!"

"Are we just going in circles?"

"Dammit, the flashlight died."

I sighed, just as fed up with this tunnel as everyone else. I had no idea how long we had already been walking; it could have been an hour, it could have been a day. There was no way to tell.

"Do you feel it, Christine?" A voice asked somewhere beside me. Bella's. I shrugged, but remembered that she wouldn't see the gesture.

"I think I lost all my feeling a while ago." I shivered, wishing that my coat were thicker. However, shaggy fur was very impractical to a water type, so freezing in the cold of the tunnel was inevitable.

"No," Bella said, "There's a feeling in the air. . . something else is in this cave. Something alive."

"Well, yeah," I said, not sure what she was getting at. "I'm sure there are zubat or something accustomed to this dark. . ."

"No," she said again, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's a weird feeling, like something doesn't belong here." I began to answer, but I heard a strange noise, like a crack. Confused, I stopped and perked my ears, trying to get a better grip on the cause of the noise. There was a similar sound, and ground beneath my feet shook violently. I gave a small, 'eep!' of surprise as the ground gave way completely, causing me to fall screaming deeper into the bowels of the tunnel.

"Christine? Christine!" A panicked voice came from above. Whose it was, I wasn't sure of. I hit something hard, I assumed it was the ground, and almost blacked out from the impact. It may have been because my vision went all fuzzy for a moment, but I swore I saw light, or at least some faint source. I rolled slowly onto my stomach, becoming marginally more aware of my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the wetness everywhere. The whole room was wet; the walls, the floors, even the air felt moist. Then I noticed the sound.

The sound of crashing water was so powerful, I figured this cavernous space I was in must have been under or surrounded by the Clearspring River. I stood up, shaking the fuzziness from my head, and looked around.

The space was huge, I gigantic cavern beneath the land pass. Like I said, everything was wet but there was a big, murky underground lake in the center of the room. It was an amazing sight, but it didn't quite add up until I noticed the walls. Water streamed continually from the walls of the cavern, down onto the floor and eventually pooling into the lake.

"Wow. . ." I murmured. It was an amazing thought that someplace so wonderful could be created so far beneath the earth, in even the darkest of places. It sort of put a little hope in my heart.

But it immediately brought me back to my earlier concern. Where was that light coming from? If anything, it should have been darker here than on the path. I would soon have my answer.

"Hello?" A voice called out in the dim light, echoing off the walls. The owner of the voice had a slight accent, indicating he or she probably came from out east, maybe from the Ivy Coast. "Is someone there?"

I was torn for a moment whether I should answer or not. It could have been a dangerous enemy, or it could have been a lost creature who got stuck down here the same way as I. _Oh, what the hell._ "Yes," I answered calmly, "I fell through the floor up there."

There was a moment of agonizing silence, then a small splash. I looked out over the lake and saw the silhouette of a pokemon approaching. The pokemon gave off a faint glow; the source of the light, perhaps? As the pokemon got closer, I began making out shapes; a foxlike face, small crimson colored body, six cutesy curled tails. A fire-type creature called a vulpix, if my memory served.

"Just stay where you are," the vulpix warned hesitantly. She, as I realized she was indeed female, was wet, not unlike the rest of the room. She must have just gotten out of the lake, where she may have been bathing. I understood why she was so cautious; after all, my dropping in was a bit of a rude interruption.

"I don't mean you any harm," I told her. "I was passing through with a group and I fell down here." I moved towards her slowly. She didn't show any signs that she may have been trapped in this cavern. She may have gotten here the same way I did, and probably recently, too.

"It's dangerous, you know," the vulpix said matter-of-factly. "Be on the lookout for a human wearing a white coat. They're always bad news."

"Oh," I smiled. "There's no need to worry. I'm traveling with him." Oops. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted saying them. The vulpix eyed me suspiciously, adopting a defensive stance.

"Traveling? With him?" The fox was glaring daggers at me. Obviously whatever she had heard about the big, scary whitecoat was not good for my current situation. "Or have you followed us here?"

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. In the soft glow I could see the paranoid fox's eyes darting around nervously. I doubted, even if I could get a grasp on the situation, I would be able to convince her I meant no foul.

"You've done nothing but try to capture us!" she cried, startling me. "Just. . . just leave us alone!" On that last cry, a small flame erupted from her mouth but quickly fizzled out in midair. Due to the humidity in the air, or perhaps because she was wet. Either way, this seemed to make her angrier, to the point where she bared her small, pointed teeth and lunged at me. Now, she wasn't particularly intimidating, but I still wanted to avoid fighting her.

For a normally agile pokemon, this particular vulpix wasn't very graceful. I attributed that to the fact that fire-type pokemon are severely weakened when wet. Regardless, when the vulpix lunged at me, she stumbled past me and fell flat on her back.

"Look, I don't know what a scientist may have done to you-"

"Shut up!" The vulpix pulled herself to her feet. "I won't let you take him away from me!" I could see the passion burning in her eyes; she obviously would give anything to protect this mysterious 'other'. She stood, spreading her feet apart, and stared at me. My gaze was drawn to her eyes; the room began to spin, all the shapes became distorted and ran together as if someone had poured water on a watercolor painting. I began hearing loud, strangely high-pitched noises and. . . voices. Voices calling my name, voices that sounded like. . . like Blaze.

"Blaze?" I ventured. A flash of heat beside me made me jump. I turned to look; vulpix was still staring me down from behind me. Actually, there were. . . three vulpixes. No, four. Another flash of heat, closer this time, made me look over my shoulder. Two more of the foxes stood there, effectively clinching me in. The vulpixes simultaneously breathed deep and exhaled a fan of flames, burning everything. The ground and walls surrounding me caught fire and began spreading like a virus throughout the cavern. The heat was unbearable; I tried to douse some with a water blast but it only seemed to fuel the fires. I could feel the heat closing in, scorching everything, beginning to burn my fur. It was unstoppable!

I had a sudden thought; one last-ditch effort. I sat back on my haunches and sprung forward as hard as I could, jumping over the unbeatable flames and into the lake. The impact of the cold water felt like it washed away a great burden from my body and cleared my head. I could suddenly think clearly, see clearly. The confusion was completely lifted. I felt at home here in the water, as was expected.

I surfaced cautiously, just poking my eyes above the water. The vulpix was still there, waiting by the edge of the water. Whatever attack she had used on me, she thought it was still working. As much as it pained me, I would have to fight back. Maybe if I showed mercy, I could convince her I wasn't a threat.

Or. . . y'know, something.

Building up the water pressure within my chest came easier when I was submerged. IT seemed that the power behind the pressure increased tenfold, as well. I would have to remember this for future battles. I aimed for the fox, opened my mouth and shot a powerful blast of water at her, causing her to disappear from sight in a torrent of water. I stepped back up onto land, walking over to vulpix, who had been blown into a corner. She looked like a drowned rat, laying head over heels against the wall.

"Please," I said. "I don't want to fight you, or whoever else may be here." The fox didn't answer. I lowered myself down to her eye level. "I didn't come looking for an enemy."

"Well," A voice from elsewhere in the cavern resonated off the walls. "You found some." A dark wave swept me off my feet and almost instantly afterwards a grey dog was upon me, sitting on my chest. He turned his head to the vulpix. "Are you alright, Flame?"

The vulpix spat out a mouthful of water. "I think so," she murmured. She sat up, looking at the dog. "She said she was traveling with the whitecoat, but she wasn't our enemy."

The dog turned back to me, his heavy glare resting upon me. "You will never stop, will you? Not until I'm dead, is that it?"

"N-no," I stammered, "I really don't know what you're talking about!"

"You're the ones who did this to me. You all caused this." He stood up angrily. "This is all _your_ fault!" He bared his teeth at me. "Give me one reason to let you go."

"Please," I pleaded, practically sobbing. "I dropped in here by accident, I was just passing through. The scientist I'm with, he's not bad. He's just trying to help me."

I thought I saw his face twitch. A moment of pity, maybe. But, then again, maybe not.

"I don't believe you." And for what seemed like the umpteenth time I have looked death in the face, I saw Blaze again. His face, smiling, beckoning me in. And as the dog's jaws homed in on my throat I thought, maybe. . . maybe this is it. Is it supposed to end here, cold, dark, and alone? It was sad to think about. But soon, well, soon I would be reunited with Eddie. That was something, I supposed.

"Stop!" It was the vulpix shouting out, running to the dog's side.

"What?" The dog demanded, turning to the she-fox. "Flame, you know what they did. Everything they're responsible for."

"But Jeremy, this is different!" the vulpix, Flame, exclaimed excitedly. "She's. . . she's like you, Jeremy!"

The dog just blinked. "Wait. . ." He turned to me, studied me for a moment, then looked back at Flame. "Why do you say that?"

"She has the same emptiness as you," Flame explained. "When I fought her earlier, I thought it was strange that I didn't feel another Aura, just an absence. Jeremy, she's a human, too!"

That hit me like a ton of bricks.

He was like. . . me? I was like him? He was human, just like me! It was. . . just unbelievable. I'm positive the disbelief showed on my face.

"That may be so," the dog growled, "But how do we know she's on our side? She's still traveling with that scientist."

"But he's not a bad scientist!" I shouted before I realized it would have been smarter to keep my mouth shut. I shrunk beneath the dog and fox's combined gazes. "He's trying to help stop this from happening to anyone else. Honest."

Jeremy sighed. The vulpix sidled up next to him, rubbing his muzzle. "I think we can trust her, Jeremy," Flame said. "She sounds like she means it."

Jeremy sighed again, stepping aside to let me up. "Fine, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But why were you passing through here in the first place?"

I stood up slowly, testing for injury. When everything seemed to be in order, I answered, "Well. . . it's sort of silly." I really wasn't sure how I felt about other people finding about my relationship with Blaze. I realized how selfish that sounded the instant the thought went through my head.

"Try me," Jeremy said.

"Well. . ." I shrugged. "In my time as a pokemon, I. . . met someone. Another pokemon." I turned away, blushing. "And. . . I sort of love him. The scientist is helping me find him." I sat there and waited for the scrutiny, but it never came.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Flame said. She turned to Jeremy. "See? I told you she didn't mean us harm."

"Yes. . . I suppose." Jeremy said grudgingly.

Flame scoffed. "C'mon, show some sympathy, Jeremy! I can't imagine what she must be going through!"

Jeremy sighed. "You're right, of course. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Jeremy smiled at the fox; Flame blushed.

"Wait," I said, "So you two. . .?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yup." The pair leaned against one another in a loving gesture. "We're mates. Love at first sight, it was."

I was overjoyed to finally find another like me, but the sight of the couple made me long for Blaze so much that it hurt.

"So, could you help me?" I asked. "I got separated from my friends. We're heading to the capitol."

Flame and Jeremy nodded. "Of course we'll help." Flame smiled at me and nodded towards Jeremy. "We were just passing through here, too. If we're headed the same way, we may as well travel together, right?"

I nodded in agreement. I began to speak, but I was interrupted at that moment by a voice.

"Hello. . .? Christine, where are you!" I turned towards the source of the voice; Percy and Apollo were standing in an archway leading from the cavern. Percy noticed me in the dim light. "Christine!" He turned around and shouted something into the tunnel, then ran over to us.

Isaac and Bella soon appeared through the arch. "Christine!" Bella shouted, running up to us. "Are you alright? We thought you had gotten really hurt!"

I smiled. "I'm fine, Bella. A little scratched up, but otherwise fine."

Bella returned the smile. "That's good. I'm glad you're-" Bella finally caught a glimpse of the amazing cavern. "Wow. . ." she muttered in amazement.

"The Lake of Tears," Isaac stated. "I've heard of this place. Many lost travelers find their way because of this lake." He walked up beside me; I noticed Jeremy stiffen slightly.

"Bella, this is Jeremy and Flame," I said, deciding to make the introductions now. "Jeremy and Flame, this is Bella Rose." Aside, out of earshot of the others, I added to Bella, "Jeremy's in the same position as I. He's a human, too." Bella's eyes widened; she kept looking back and forth between Jeremy and I.

Bella nodded and smiled at the pair. "Nice to meet you. Isaac is my trainer." She indicated the whitecoat. "He's a good guy, trust me. He abhors some of the experiments being performed by other scientists." Jeremy relaxed a little, but just barely.

"It's good to meet you, Bella," Flame said warmly.

"-and the water pouring down the walls give this cavern its namesake. It's caused by water from the river around us flowing in through miniscule cracks in the walls," Isaac was still speaking above us. "The old tales say a pair of young lovers were separated in this cave, and the woman got lost and eventually flooded this cavern with her own sorrow."

"That's great, really," Percy sighed. "But how are we going to get out of here?" Jeremy barked, grabbing everyone's attention. He and Flame were already on their feet, walking from the cavern.

"I guess that answers your question," Isaac said. He looked at me. "They _are_ leading us out, right? They're friends?" I nodded. "Good. Shall we?" He began to follow the pair of lovers out, with Percy following shortly behind.

"Brr," Bella shivered. "I'll be glad to be out of this place. Your friends will be a big help."

"Yeah," I nodded. I still couldn't get over the thought of there being another like me. It was mind boggling. But to know that, even though he was a human, Jeremy could fall in love with a pokemon just sort of. . . solidified the love I had for my Blaze. It gave me just a little bit more hope for the future.

The pair led us from the Lake of Tears, through tunnels and passages much like the cavern itself. We walked for some time and when we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I couldn't have thought of a more suitable thought. We were nearing the end, I could tell. I could sense it; we had many hardships yet to come, but I would face them with this new hope in my heart.

After all, I could wait, with a smile.

**A/N: Mmf, a little rushed at the end. I just wanted to get it finished up, though. The time it took for me to update this story is unacceptable. I'll try to be better about it, I promise!**

**Jeremy and Flame belong to Wolvesatyourdoor. Expect to see them later on, as well. Happy (belated) Birthday, dude!**


	14. The Lonesome Road

**Author's Note: Hah. . . so, computer got completely destroyed. AGAIN. Had to wipe the hard drive. AGAIN. And. . . I lost what I hadn't had saved to a thumb drive, which was. . . well, this chapter, among a few other things. Unfortunate, I know. But I find the strength within me to continue. **

**Mostly because its Christmas Break. . . **

**Regardless! I can't believe it's been more than a year since **_**The Point of No Return**_** was released. In that year, so much has happened. . . although I'm not entirely satisfied by the rate at which my current stories are being updated. I shall have to see to it that I release more often. Um. . . for real this time.**

**So yeah. On to the show.**

I couldn't sleep.

Not to say that I didn't _want_ to sleep, or that my mind was so plagued with the troubles of my life that I _couldn't_ (okay, so it was- but that wasn't the biggest reason). No, the biggest reason I could not sleep. . . was our new companions.

As we exited the dark caves, we found that night had quickly descended upon us; we barely had enough time to find a suitable clearing and set up camp before it was too dark to see. Percy built a fire while Isaac tended to the facilities of the two humans, and the rest of us Pokemon found our own ways of preparing for rest. Jeremy and Flame went off on their own, making their bed about ten feet from the camp. I didn't think anything of it, the two of them deserved their privacy, especially considering they weren't technically part of our little happy band of miserable outcasts. Apollo took roost in a tree above where Percy slept, and Bella cleared some grass to create a makeshift bed for herself near Isaac. The stagnant feelings of loneliness began to creep up within me again. With a sigh, I curled up near the fire, letting the heat from wash over my body in a warm embrace. It felt comfortable, it felt right.

It felt like Blaze was lying beside me once more.

I had scarcely noticed tears were rolling down my cheeks. Blaze's absence was like an echo penetrating the depths of my heart. It physically _hurt_ me to be away from him, a dull ache in my chest that never seemed to leave me alone; a constant reminder of my love's betrayal. . .

_No!_ I thought angrily, reprimanding myself for thinking such thoughts about Blaze. _There's still that faint glimmer of hope. . . maybe this wasn't his doing! Maybe. . . maybe he had no choice, and that he was under their spell. . ._

"Fight it, Blaze," I called out to him under my breath. ". . . I miss you." I sighed once more and rested my head on my paws and tried to sleep away my worries.

Well, we both know how well _that_ turned out.

From my position by the fire, I could hear Jeremy and Flame talking softly to each other. For a short while I strained my ears to try to listen to them, but I gave up on it when I realized their lovey-dovey talk made me long for my Blaze. I curled up again, trying to delve into the depths of sleep, but I could not drown out the couple's talk.

It started innocently enough; the two chatted quietly, whispering the sweetest of nothings and sometimes laughing quietly to themselves. I just tried to drown them out, dismissing their talk as the kind typical of couples. Soon, though, the sounds from their direction took a turn for the perverse; hushed calling out of names and soft moans brought on by heaven-knows-I didn't-care-to-find-out. I groaned and pulled my ears flat to the ground with my paws, attempting to block them out. When this showed no success, I gave in and decided to ignore them or wait until the distraction ceased.

And. . . we also know how well _that_ turned out, too.

I heard a noise beside me; I glanced up and saw Bella standing there, the flickering fire playing light over her form and making her shadow dance across the ground. She smiled at me and shrugged.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked.

I resisted the urge to laugh then, wondering how Bella couldn't hear our new companions. She was either practically deaf, or my hearing was much more acute than I had previously assumed! "You could say that," I said with a smile. Bella nodded and sat down beside me, rubbing her hands in front of the fire.

"How are you doing?" she asked quietly, breaking the silence (well, the one between us at least. You know what I meant). I didn't answer for a moment, staring deep into the flames as they licked the cold air of the night.

"I don't know," I admitted, shivering despite the heat from the fire. "I don't know how to feel. . . about Blaze. This is all so confusing." Now, I'm not usually one to wear my heart on my sleeve, but all this inner turmoil was threatening to burst from my chest if I didn't talk to someone about it.

"I'm really sorry, Christine," Bella shrugged unhelpfully. "But I don't know what to tell you."

"Tell me about the crowns, then." These devices intrigued me, plus they were the only hope I had. "What are they, what do they do exactly?" Bella sighed and sat back for a moment, the looked back at me.

"Well, from what I understand, the Red Crown gives Beyond complete control over a Pokemon. . . I'm not sure how, but the victim loses all conscious thought and cannot control their actions." Bella scratched her chin thoughtfully. "And there's more than one type of crown, but I don't know anything about the rest of them. And that's it."

I nodded, absorbing this new information. Somewhere a Kricketune chirped, breaking the silence. "So, Blaze may not have any control over what he's doing, right?"

Bella nodded, laying on her back and placing her arms behind her head. "It's possible." She seemed to ponder this for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, definitely possible. They could have forced the Crown on him at any time."

Bella's words were comforting, but it was obvious she did not fully believe them. Neither did I, frankly. I would have noticed if Blaze had the Crown when he left me. . . and he hadn't. I rolled over onto my side, the frosty grass prickling my skin. What I wanted most of all was to sleep. Sleep and just. . . forget. But I knew that would never happen, so I just lie there staring out into the darkness until I heard Bella get up behind me and walk back to her master's side. I shivered, the creeping loneliness returning.

_How could you, Blaze?_

()()()()()()()()()()

When I awoke the next morning, I found that a heaviness had settled upon my bones. My stiff joints groaned when I tried to uncurl myself. I saw that I had fallen asleep in front of the fire; the remains were still smoldering in the small pit we dug out for it. For a moment I panicked, feeling like I was trapped in my own body.

"Are you alright, Christine?" Bella squatted down beside me. I could barely look up at her. She frowned, helping me to my feet. "Was it a bad dream?"

I shook my head. In fact, I hadn't had one of those dreams in quite a while. Frankly, I was glad I got a respite from being plagued with horrifying images of future events. It was a little concerning though, and I felt a bit lost without the visions. Itwas almost a comfort to know what was or would be happening in my absence. Bella shrugged and gave me a few words of encouragement and went to help the whitecoat pack up his belongings.

Percy was rolling up a sleeping bag went I flopped down by his feet. My joints were already aching from the effort of walking the few feet to him. That was definitely a bad sign.

Percy grunted as he zipped his bulging backpack closed. "How are you holding up, Christine?" I was unaware he was talking to me for a moment; he had rarely made any contact with me since he found out my real identity. I shrugged, watching him lug the backpack over his shoulder. "Any idea why we're heading to the capitol?"

I shook my head; Percy just grunted again, and smiled at me. "These scientific types like to leave us in the dark, eh?" He chuckled, but he didn't realize how completely right he was. I've been nothing but completely at the mercy of others' knowledge for the longest time. It was starting to get tiring. Why all the secrecy now? I wanted answers, dammit.

"Thank you for getting me out of my creative funk, by the way," Percy said conversationally, following Isaac back out onto the main path. I nodded at him, too tired and sore to do much of anything else. Apollo flew overhead, and Bella trudged alongside her master in front of us, all the while cradling the sleeping Seviper child against her chest.

Jeremy and Flame appeared from wherever it was they had slept, all flushed and starry-eyed. I was half tempted to ask them something snide ('Have fun, you two?'), but I decided against it. The pair smiled at me as they passed me by. It sent another pang of loneliness through me, followed by one of guilt. Why should I covet their relationship? _I_ had been that way once; they deserved to be together. After all, real love is hard to find.

Sigh.

It took me a minute to realize I was lagging behind the rest of the group. I wanted to catch up, but for some reason my body was not cooperating. I got a horrible feeling in my gut. I knew my old injuries from the toxin would come back to haunt me someday; it had been a minor inconvenience until now, but I understood someday it would become debilitating. I was just hoping that it would be much later.

"Up you go." Gentle hands wrapped around my waist, lifting me off the ground. The arms cradled me, holding me close. A face smiled at me from above. It was Percy. "Having a tough morning, Christine?" He chuckled, picking up his pace to stride alongside Isaac. In all honesty, being carried was a bit humiliating, but I wasn't about to complain.

Isaac noticed me in Percy's arms. He grinned and scratched my head. "So, we should reach the capitol in a few days," he said to me. "When we arrive there, you may experience some. . . difficulties. It may be hard to deal with some things you see there." He lowered his gaze, as if struggling with his words. "Can you handle it? I just wanted to make sure you knew what to expect."

I thought it over for a moment, then nodded. He didn't need to ask me twice. This was possibly my only means of finding Blaze, and whatever hope I may have had. . . I had to take it. No matter what the cost.

Isaac folded his arms. "There's a Beyond building in the capitol. That's where we're headed. In that building. . . all the most important transactions and labs are located." Percy shifted his shoulders, but otherwise remained quiet, absorbing this information. I wanted to cry out that this didn't help my situation at all, but they wouldn't have understood me anyway. So I just nodded.

"There's a woman in that building. It's very, very important that I meet her," Isaac continued. "Otherwise, our little gambit will likely not succeed."

"Who is this woman, exactly?" Percy asked, his voice sounding a bit more suspicious than curious. Isaac looked conflicted by this question; he shrugged and rubbed his neck.

"I can't really say right now. Not without speaking to her first." Percy gave him an annoyed look. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to trust me. There's too much that I need to figure out myself. I can't quite fill you in on the details until then." He shrugged. "Sorry."

Percy sighed, shifting me in his arms. "I don't know." He looked down. "What about you? If you trust this guy, I'll play along."

I nodded, deciding it was best to trust Isaac, at least for the moment. He seemed to truly believe in the cause of taking down Beyond, and Bella trusted him. Percy nodded.

"So, you'll be joining us to Metro, then?" Isaac asked. To my (and Isaac's, apparently) surprise, Percy shook his head.

"Nope. I'll see that Christine makes it to the city, but I won't be stopping. I've got to be in Serenity Bay in a few days, so I won't have any time to hang around once we're there." His news genuinely discouraged me. It was fun having him around, he was a lot more entertaining that Isaac. Plus, as much as Bella idolized him, I didn't fully trust the whitecoat, and I felt better with another person around. I reached up and placed a paw on his chest; he took it in his hand and squeezed it warmly. "Sorry, but now that I've been inspired, I have to get my career back on track. I'll never forget what you've done for me, though." He smiled, and despite my woes, I couldn't help but smile back.

Apollo cried form overhead.

"_Attenzione! Pericolo, pericolo!"_ He shouted, circling overhead. "The Dark Ones are upon us!"

My heart froze in my chest. Isaac looked up at the bird, confused. "What did he say?" His response was forthcoming; right at that moment, two figures appeared on the path, both standing on all fours. A pair of silver fangs and a circlet of crimson metal gleamed in the light of the early morning.

"Mightyena," Isaac groaned. Apparently, he was familiar with my enemy. Curious. But the black dog was the least of my worries; my full attention was on the other new arrival.

"Blaze," I barely managed to mutter. Bella glanced up at me worriedly. Percy tightened his grip on me, taking a step back. "Oh, why him?"

The two approached us, walking slowly and deliberately. Both were expressionless; for Mightyena, this was expected but seeing Blaze like that sent a shiver down my spine. Seeing how he'd been changed, changed by Beyond's influence, made me realize this was not my Blaze. My Blaze was gone, replaced by this hard, emotionless killer.

I still loved him absolutely.

"Well, well," Mightyena growled. "Look what the cat dragged in." Blaze chuckled, the metal band around his head reflecting what little light there was. I knew that if I got the chance, I would break that device. Maybe then he would come back to me.

"Apollo, get ready," Percy muttered. I noticed Isaac giving an order to Bella. Percy looked at me, looking concerned. "Are you able to fight, Christine? Or. . . ?" I nodded, signaling I was able to fight. I wanted to free Blaze myself. Percy frowned, but set me down carefully.

"I bet I know who you want," Mightyena nudged Blaze slightly. "I'll take the other two." With a spring, Mightyena leapt into the air and abruptly vanished. Everythign exploded into chaos around me, Apollo and Bella fighting the black dog while their owners shouted commands. Everything seemed a rush, seemed to blend into one blur- everything except for Blaze.

"Looking well, Project Christine." Blaze grunted, beginning to circle around me. I cringed at this; his voice was mechanical, and calling me that. . . Project Christine? He sounded like the whitecoats!

"C'mon Blaze, snap out of it!" I pleaded, though I knew it was pointless. "Blaze, please!" Blaze just scoffed, baring his teeth.

"Aw, just_ shut it_!" He pounced at me, swinging a front paw and connecting with my side. I toppled over, but quickly jumped to my feet to avoid a ball of flame. The action caused a jarring spasm to run through my legs, almost sending me back onto my side. I shot a feeble blast of water at him, but it dissipated almost the instant it left my mouth. "What's the matter? Feeling down?" Blaze laughed, launching another blast of fire at me.

I didn't react as quickly this time, jumping back but still feeling the heat as it burned my fur. I cried in pain, my knees buckling from beneath me. The ground rushed up to meet me and I hit it hard, almost blacking out right then. I heard Blaze laughing again.

"Aww, poor Christine's got no one to help her this time." He planted his feet firmly against my sides, standing above me. "Now. . . where were we?" He opened his mouth wide, descending upon my neck. I summoned the very last reserves of my energy to rear my legs back and kick him square in the chest, knocking him away.

_I have to get out of here_, I thought. I rolled over and got shakily to my feet, and took off running down the path. I heard Blaze roar angrily and charge down the path after me. Each time one of my paws pounded against the ground, a twinge traveled up that leg. It took all I had in me to continue running and ignore the protests in my joints.

I ran as fast as I possibly could, but I soon felt Blaze closing in on me. By body remained uncooperative, my muscles ached and my lungs burned and felt like they would tear themselves from my chest. I never thought my injury would hinder me like this, but now I was feeling its effects full-on!

There was a ditch in the path ahead; I figured if I was to shake Blaze, this would be the way. I picked up what little speed I could, sprung back on my legs, and launched myself into the air. . .

But as soon as I did, a jolt ran through my leg, throwing off my leap. I was cast far off to the side, hitting the far side of the ditch roughly. I tried to scramble to my feet, but the muscles abandoned all reason completely. I was entirely at Blaze's mercy.

Blaze set a paw on my chest, pressing down hard. "You'll not be doing that again, you little _wench_." He spat that last word out, pushing his full weight on my chest. "I'm going to enjoy killing you. . . very, _very_ much." He snarled, placing his other paw on my throat. "Any last words?"

I choked, the words refusing to come. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I wanted to beg and plead and curse at Blaze for everything he'd done, but only a single thought prevailed in my mind. "Blaze. . . I love you." I swore I saw his expression soften, but it didn't for long. I sniffed and sobbed, the tears flowing down m cheeks. "I love you, Blaze, I love you so much. . ." Blaze just scoffed and pressed his weight down on my throat, slowly suffocating me. My lungs screamed for air, my chest ached and heaved, but all I could do was mutter the same thing. "Blaze, I love you so. . ."

The world began fading to black around me. My head felt foggy, my thoughts were harder to keep track of. But still that one pervading thought remained. _Blaze, is this how it ends? Here, by your hand?_ I shut my eyes, preparing for, what seemed like the millionth time, the inevitable end.

There was an explosion of black in the back of my head. Instantly, everything I felt became. . . insignificant. I could still feel the dull ache in my chest, and I could faintly feel the heat of Blaze's body lying above me. This feeling was so. . . familiar. So welcome. For a moment, it felt like everything was right again. A new rush of energy revitalized me, silencing the aches and protests from my muscles.

I kicked Blaze away from me with this new strength, in the same way I did before. I flipped over my side and stood up, testing my legs. They didn't shake, they didn't give way beneath me. I opened my eyes, and instantly I was filled with a strange feeling of enlightenment. I saw Blaze stand up, his movement seemingly slowed. He growled at me, and I saw him shimmer slightly and charge quickly off to the right. I jumped out of the way, readying a blast of water, when I noticed something strange; Blaze hadn't moved yet. Somehow I had anticipated his move before it happened; it felt the same way as my dreams, but it saw much closer into the future, it seemed.

I built the pressure within my chest and blasted it just as Blaze made the move I foresaw him making. The water jet hit him on the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. I saw another shimmer; this time, I saw Blaze rise to his feet and shoot a wave of fire from his mouth. I, of course, was prepared for him to make the move so by the time he actually made it, I was behind him. I smacked him roughly with my tail once, twice, three times before he went down again.

There were shouts from behind me. I recognized Percy and Isaac's voices, and those of Apollo and Bella, as well. It seemed they were chasing someone, probably Mightyena. Blaze groaned as he rose once more to his feet. I saw the shimmer and foresaw his attack and prepared to strike his crown, but in that instant all the energy fled my body once more. My legs were unable to support my sudden onset of weight, and I crumpled to the ground at Blaze's feet.

Mightyena ran past, motioning to Blaze with his head as he dashed by. Blaze gave me one last look, growled once more, then followed his superior. I was left on the ground, chest heaving with inconceivable pain and muscles screaming from overexertion, only to realize how close I was to freeing Blaze. I cried out in frustration, but the action sent a pang of pain through my head.

I was vaguely aware of Bella kneeling down beside me, for at that point I was between consciousnesses. She was soon joined by the two humans, with Apollo perching high overhead. Jeremy and Flame appeared as well, cuts and bruises indicating they helped to fend off Mightyena. I wanted to shout at them to pursue Mightyena and Blaze, but they wouldn't have in any case. The concern in their eyes told me so.

"Christine, hang on," Percy was the first to speak. He spoke softly and comfortingly, scooping me up in his arms once more. "We're almost at the Capitol. Can you stay awake until then?" I shook my head the tiniest bit. Percy frowned and patted my head lovingly.

I could feel my strength slowly draining with each moment I stayed awake. I wanted to talk to someone, or have someone reassure me some more, but I was far too weak. I had frequent lapses in consciousness as the group began their trek again, and eventually I slept, this time until we reached Metro.

While my body recharged, I had a dream. I was with Blaze once more, but this time he had no crown. We were at that special, secret spot he showed me before we left Darsteel City. We were snuggled close together, as a couple should, and as the sun settled slowly over the horizon, Blaze kept whispering a single phrase into my ear.

_I love you so much, Christine, I love you so. . ._

**A/N: And thus ends another chapter. It is about 4:30 am, and my biggest concern is that the last part of the chapter made sense, and wasn't too rushed. I probably shouldn't finish chapters early in the morning; it tends to make me rush the endings. Oh, well.**

**So, in the case that I do not update before then, Happy Holidays (whichever holiday it may be~) and have a grand New Year!**


	15. City of Wonder

**UPDATE: I've gone back and lengthened the chapter, because I wasn't satisfied with where I ended it. You're welcome. **

**And. . . it DEFINITELy worked this time. Here's the real update. Sorry about the issues!**

**With any luck, the downtime between updates will be getting shorter. The big problem with the last few chapters (for both stories) was that they were mostly for advancing the story. . . but not anymore! **

**Which is to say, it'll still advance the story, but these ones will be much easier and more fun to write. Hopefully. Um. . . anyways. Enjoy, as always.**

_I just had to take one step. That's all it would have taken. One step. One tiny, insignificant. . . step. And then. . . it would all be over. Everything would be okay again. . . everything would be okay! No more worries, no more Beyond, no more creatures at every turn trying to kill me! _

_I could end the madness. And with just one more step!_

_But if that was all it took. . . why was it so damn hard?_

"_Christine?" Bella's voice came from somewhere, I didn't care where. She wasn't important now. It was just me, and the step. "Chris. . . CHRISTINE!" Huh, she sounded alarmed. Didn't matter. No, not to me. To me, there were only to things. It was just me. . . and the cliff._

"_Christine, what the hell are you doing!" A paw on my shoulder tore me backwards so hard I fell flat on my back. Bella was standing above me, fur matted with rain, face flushed, eyes wide. "What were you thinking?"_

_Suddenly, I was angry. I was so close, how dare she stop me!_

_I flipped over onto my stomach, lashing my tail out at Bella. "Dammit, why did you have to stop me, Bella? I thought you were my friend!"_

_Bella let out a gasp, as if offended. "I AM your friend!"_

"_Then why don't you want me to be happy, Bella?" I shouted accusingly, pulling myself to my feet. The rain had started to soak into my fur, but it didn't bother me much, being a water type. I could still feel its cold sting, though. "Why do you hate me!"_

"_Christine. . ." Bella sounded hurt, but rightly so. She deserved it for this. "Christine, I don't hate you. This whole time we've traveled together. . . the only thing I wanted was to help you find happiness." _

"_Then let me DIE!" I cried, stomping my feet. "Let me die, Bella! I can't go on like this! I can't, I can't, I CAN'T—" I couldn't finish my thought. Bella had enveloped me in a warm bear hug, holding me bone-crushingly tight in her arms._

"_I'm not going to let you do this, Christine, even if I have to hold on to you to keep you from the edge!" Bella shouted, her voice hardly audible over the downpour. "I won't let you do this!"_

_I struggled in her grip, flailing with all my strength. Why was she being so stubborn! Why was she keeping me from the people I loved? Why. . . why was she being so cruel? Eventually I exhausted myself, falling limp in Bella's arms._

"_I'm sorry, Christine," she murmured in my ear. "I won't let you do this, no matter how much it hurts."_

_She didn't understand! I had no one. . . no one left! I had nothing left here, yet she was forcing me to live with this pain! She. . . she was beyond cruel! The rain was coming down so hard, I couldn't tell when I had started crying. _

"_BLAZE!" I shouted to the sky, venting all my sadness, my fury, my pain. _

"BLAZE!" I shouted, bolting upright, causing Percy to jump. Isaac eyed me with concern.

"You alright, Christine?" Percy asked, scratching my head. He was still carrying me in his arms, holding me as a groom would hold is bride. I had no idea how long he had been carrying me, but from his face it seemed that it had been for a while. He held me closer, the warmth of his body driving away the lingering anxieties from my dream.

This dream was. . . terrifying. In the past, my dreams had been about others mostly, but this one was about me. And had I. . . tried to kill myself? I shuddered, hoping that this dream was speculative and not an actually glimpse of the future.

"What's the matter, Christine?" Bella asked, looking up at me with a look much like her owner's. I couldn't bring myself to say anything; what was there to say? 'I just dreamed that you kept me from killing myself, so if it actually happens I'm gonna need you to do it, despite how difficult a choice it seemed for you'.

"Bad dream," I mumbled, stretching my legs out. I must have been sleeping for quite a while, because I felt newly energized. The ailments that slowed me before seemed to have gone, as well. I had a sinking suspicion that it was not the last I've seen of them, though. If it truly was brought on by the injuries I sustained while I was poisoned, then I knew it would not be going away, at least not permanently.

All of which made me wonder what could have driven me to suicide in my dream. I mean, it really can't get much worse for me. Debilitating injuries? Check. Powerful people/creatures out to kill you at every turn? Check. The love of my life potentially ran off to his ex, and seemingly willingly joined sides with aforementioned people who were out to kill me? Check.

"You've been sleeping for a long time," Percy noted with a smile. "That fight really took it out of you. You've probably been asleep for. . ." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Isaac. "How long would you say she's been out for?"

Isaac looked up to the sky, hands clasped behind his head. "Mm. . . I'd say a good sixteen or seventeen hours."

_Sixteen or- whoa!_ The thought boggled my mind. Had the fight really worn me out that much- or was it from my injuries? Upon further thought, I came to the embarrassing realization that Percy had probably been holding me this whole time. Had he even slept with me in his arms?

"Can you walk?" Isaac asked. I stretched out my legs, testing out my sore muscles. Everything seemed in order, but then again everything had seemed fine until yesterday, too. I gave him a noncommittal shrug. "One way to find out, right?"

"I dunno, we probably shouldn't risk it," Percy said quickly. "Shouldn't be too much longer, anyways." I swear I felt him tighten his grip on me; I suspected he had other reasons to not let me go. Isaac shrugged, showing he did not really care either way, and we all continued on our way.

As we crested the next hill, it finally came into view. Now, the biggest city I had ever seen to this point was Darsteel (which, don't get me wrong, is very large), but compared to Metro, it was a couple of hovels around a campfire. Metro was, in a single word, ENORMOUS. Twisting steel buildings covered every conceivable inch of the city, people bustled to and fro, filling the streets. The buildings towered above the landscape, as if they ran out of room to build on the ground so built up instead.

But there was something else that set this aside from Darsteel: there was no pollution. The sun shone clearly down from the sky and reflected off the metal giants, completely unobstructed. No smog. No smoke of any sort. The cleanliness of the place, plus the size. . . it was crazy. But it was amazing all the same.

Percy whistled. "Wow. Nice place." The understatement of the century, but I absolutely agreed with him. And this was where we would begin our undertaking of Beyond.

"Incredible. . ." Bella breathed. In the rear of the group, I heard Flame and Jeremy gasp simultaneously.

Isaac chuckled, his grin wide. The city was obviously his element. "We've arrived."

()()()()()()()()()()

"I got us a room at the Pokemon Center," Isaac announced, gesturing to a shiny, advanced-looking building behind him. "And I've arranged a meeting with my contact in a few hours."

I nodded, admiring Isaac's abilities of organization. I was still being clutched even tighter now in Percy's grip, though I was almost completely certain I could walk unaided now. It wasn't unwelcome, though; Percy was warm, comforting.

"If all goes well," Percy continued, "This meeting will be the first step towards taking down Beyond."

I could barely contain my excitement. Finally, I'd be able to take down those monsters! Finally, for all they'd done. . . to me, to everyone they harmed. But it all made me wonder who Isaac was meeting, and what the purpose of the meeting was.

Percy sighed and shrugged his shoulders, making me bob a little in his arms. "I guess that's my cue, then."

Isaac frowned. "So soon?" I was lost for a moment, before I remembered what Percy had said the day before: _I'll see that Christine makes it to the city, but I won't be stopping. . . I won't have any time to hang around once we're there._

Jeremy and Flame had separated with our group at the front gate of the city. We all wished them luck, and they smiled as they left. Before the went, though, Jeremy gave me one last tidbit of wisdom: "Hold on, Christine. That's what I did. And look, everything will always turn out fine." The pair gave their last goodbyes then; I didn't think I would have to say farewell again so soon.

Percy nodded. "Yeah. . . I need to be in Serenity Bay and I'm going to be late as it is." He shrugged again and squeezed me closer to his chest- suddenly his fondness for holding me made a bit more sense.

'Well then," Isaac muttered, rummaging through his pockets of his coat. He pulled a small golden card, about the size of a credit card, with a black insignia of Beyond ensigned upon it. "Take this. It will get you on the new corporate TransPas. It can take you straight to Serenity eight times faster than it would take to walk."

Percy took the card and held it up, studying it. "You sure they won't check to see if I'm one of their scientists?"

"It's completely automated," Isaac explained knowingly. "As long as you know where you want to go, you can get there. And best of all, no security checks. They figure as long as you have the card, you're one of them."

"Nifty," Percy said, holding the card up to the sun. Apollo swooped down and fluttered around Percy's head for a moment before landing on his shoulder. Percy chuckled, stroking the bird's feathers. "Sorry, Apollo. They need you more than I do."

I blinked. "You're not going with him?"

Apollo shook his head. "I cannot find it within myself to leave a lady in distress behind," he said with a charming grin. He shook his head. "It was my master's idea, mostly. He thinks I would be of better use helping you accomplish your goal."

Percy patted the bird's head one more time before holding his arm out to Isaac, who transferred Apollo to his own arm carefully.

"He'd be of more use to you," Percy explained, "Besides, he can always find me. He knows how to get to Serenity." Apollo gave a nod and warble of approval. Percy sighed and knelt down, scratching my head.

"Good luck, Christine. It was great meeting you. I hope you can stop these guys." He smiled and wiped a tear from his eye. I nodded at him, then brushed up against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me for a few moments before standing up.

"Good luck," Isaac said, shaking Percy's hand. Percy nodded and, without a backward glance, began walking back down the road.

We watched him go for several minutes, seeing his form get smaller and smaller until he finally disappeared over the horizon.

It was several moments before Isaac clapped his hands together.

"Alright, let's get to work."

()()()()()()()()()()

The Beyond building was nothing special.

That is, compared to every other building in this city, it never would have stuck out. But anywhere else, with its double towering buildings stretching like spires of silver up to the sky, it would have caught an eye or two.

But as it was, it did not differ from most of the other buildings in Metro. Still, it was very impressive. The two towers rose high above the city, connected every so often by a walkway or bridge. The familiar symbol, the letter 'B' within an eye, hung about halfway up, connected in between the two buildings. The effect was very gaudy, but cool all the same.

"Here we are," Isaac announced unnecessarily. You could see the damn structure from everywhere else in the city. Bella shifted her feet uncomfortably at her master's feet, clutching his coat in a death grip. She was obviously apprehensive about returning to a Beyond building, but who could blame her? I had no clue what they had done to her while she was held captive. I know I didn't want to step foot in that awful place.

Isaac swung the doors open, ushering us into a lobby of sorts. It was a huge, open room with elevators on the far side and a large crystal reception desk smack dab in the center of it all. People buzzed to and fro, reading files, talking on phones, ad otherwise looking very busy. Isaac stepped up to the reception desk and flashed some sort of identification. Apparently word had not yet gotten around that Isaac had gone rogue, because the lady receptionist waved him through. Isaac smiled at us, leading off to the side of the room and down a long corridor.

"My contact will be meeting me here," he explained when we arrived to set of double doors.

"Until then, I want the three of you to stay out of the way. And Christine," he looked at me with a stern eye. "Keep out of sight. You never know who might recognize you here, and we don't want you to be recaptured." He patted my head and gave Bella's a quick rub, then slipped inside the room beyond the double doors, leaving us alone.

I sighed, slumping back against the wall beside the door. Bella sat down beside me, staring down at her feet. Only Apollo, perched from a light hanging from the ceiling, seemed cheerful.

"Come now, _Signora_. Smile!" He gave a strange bird-grin at me, his eyes shining in the light.

"This is what you've wanted, right? This will bring you closer to your goal!"

I shrugged my shoulders. I mean, yeah, I wanted this to happen. I wanted nothing more than to take down Beyond.

Well, almost nothing more.

There was always Blaze.

I sighed again and was about to see about taking a nap, when something caught my eye- it was quick, just a flash. But I was almost certain I saw it.

I rose to my feet, crossing the hallway to a glass door on the other side. The room was dark; only a big computer screen still shone with life. It displayed all sorts of statistics, and it seemed to be rotating information about various projects.

I watched it for a minute, waiting. It flipped through several more experiments before it got to the one I was interested in: Project Aura, the slide said. It had more information on it than any other slide, with tons of lab results and hypotheses and charts and the like. But that isn't what caught my attention; a group of pictures in the corner of the screen did. One in particular.

It was a picture of Shadow.

I gasped, pressing my head against the glass window. I strained my eyes to try to read what was on the slide, but it switched to the next one before I had the chance.

"What's wrong, Christine?' Bella came up beside me and pressed her own head against the door. I growled in frustration and banged my forehead against the glass. The door was thick, so no matter how hard I tried, I was stuck on this side.

"Shadow. . ." I muttered, thinking rapidly of a way to get in. Bella frowned at me.

"Your son?" I nodded. "You saw him in there?" Another nod. Bella looked back at the door, pressed one paw against the glass. With one quick movement, Bella pulled her fist back and swung it hard, smashing against the door. A long crack ran across the surface of the glass.

"Bella. . . " I breathed, absolutely stunned. She swung her fist again, the crack in the door grew. Once more, she pulled her head back and bashed her forehead against the door, shattering it completely.

"There we go," Bella said, rubbing her head. She grinned at me and jerked a thumb towards the gaping hole where the door once stood. "Door's open."

"Bella," I laughed, shaking my head. "Bella, you're wonderful!" I gave her a big grin and climbed through the gaping hole, being careful not to step in broken glass. I took a quick look around the room as Bella stepped through behind me.

The room was lined with tables, each holding a group of computers. One computer still hummed with life; an object on top seemed to be projecting the computer's contents onto the screen in the back of the room.

Now, I've never been good with technology, but in this new body of mine it was nearly impossible. I clambered up onto a chair, examining the computer screen. A program was playing, showing the slideshow on the screen. I struggled with the mouse in my paws for a few moments, trying to figure out what I was doing before I found a button that paused the rotation of slides. I looked up- the slideshow stopped on the slide with Shadow on it.

Bella approached the screen apprehensively. "You can read this, Christine?"

I nodded, taking a seat in front of the screen. A bunch of technical jargon took up big sections of the slide, but some were simple enough for me to understand. I looked back at the collection of pictures; along with Shadow, there was a picture of a scary-looking clawed black creature that I recognized as a Sneasel, a tiny, dark, wormlike snake creature with blank white eyes. A Seviper, I figured.

Then I paused. _Our_ Seviper, to be exact. I hadn't thought about the adolescent snake creature for the longest time- the poor thing slipped my mind completely! Had Percy taken it with him to Serenity, or had he brought it somewhere since we saved it from that pack of Dark Gang. . . Sneasel.

Huh.

I knew there _had _to be a relation. I searched the slide more, and found that I recognized two more of the images: one of my daughter, Rose, and the other I recognized, with a pang of loneliness, was Blaze. All of this. . . all of this was connected somehow. But how?

"What does it say, Christine?" Bella asked, eyes wide, taking in all the images on the screen. I followed her eyes to a big box of text and began reading it aloud.

"Project: Aura- Phase 1 of 3 complete; Phase 2: Aura Clone underway," I wondered for a moment what this all meant. Beyond was up to something, something involving this "Aura" business. I knew it could not have been good. I didn't like the sound of the term 'Aura Clone'.

"All specimen verified and accounted for; Project: Aura Crown underway. Final experiments taking place in Greywood lab, Y3 and G7 results to be verified." I frowned at the nonsense, trying to make head or tails of it. It seemed to have something to do with the crowns. . . like the ones that were on Blaze and Bella! They were performing tests with the crowns at this Greywood Lab; I made a mental note that we needed to make a stop there. Perhaps I an save Blaze! Eagerly I read on.

"Initial Phase 1 complete; Project Christine: abandoned," I froze. I was in this more than I knew! I had something to do with Project Aura. . . But what _was_ it?

"Christine, come look!" Bella called to me from the opposite side of the room. She had wandered off while I was reading; I realized sheepishly that I had forgotten her and was reading quietly to myself. I drew my eyes away from the screen long enough to look where she was indicating. "Christine, come _here_!"

I sighed and crossed over to her; she was standing near a staircase leading upwards. Bella placed one hand on my shoulder, the other pointing into the inky black darkness at the top of the stairs.

"What do you think is up there?" She asked. I shrugged.

"One way to find out, right?" I gave one last look at the Project Aura slide and climbed up the steps, felling my way carefully until it opened up into another big room. Surprisingly, this one was fairly well lit on one side- light flooded in through a window connected to another room. Curious, I went to the window and stood on my back legs to see through it; it overlooked a large, hangar-like room with a single stage with several chairs surrounding it. Two figures were crowded around a table in the middle of the stage; it took me a moment to realize one of the figures was Isaac, now holding a large square pack in one hand.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, peering out the window beside me.

"Isaac's meeting with his contact," I explained. His contact was a pretty, but rather severe looking woman. She seemed familiar, actually. _Really_ familiar. "Oh, damn." Sheer horror dawned on me when I realized where I'd seen the woman before: it was way back in the Darsteel headquarters. She was one of the whitecoats that experimented on Shadow!

"Christine?" Bella looked at me, concerned.

"I know her," I murmured. There was no doubting it: Isaac's contact was in charge at the Darsteel HQ. He said she could be trusted. . . But I was unsure. Perhaps she wasn't bad like the rest of them. Maybe she wanted to help us. Before I got a chance to say anything else, a voice came from behind us.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" I whipped my head around; a whitecoat was poking up over the stairs, arms filled with chemical tools. "You shouldn't be here!"

"Ugh. Just what we need," I growled, lowering myself to the ground, ready to fight should there be a need. Belle turned around and rubbed her forehead.

The whitecoat pressed some sort of device at his waist and it emitted a high-pitched beep. "Securtiy will be here any moment. But until then. . ." He pulled a short metal rod from his belt with his free hand and pressed a button. The weapon began to crackle with electricity; the whitecoat took a step closer, holding the rod above his head. Bella and I prepared to lunge at him.

That when the explosion rocked the building.

I lost my footing and slid to the ground. A bright flash of white in the back of my skull left my ears ringing. Bella seemed to have withstood the shaking and was still on her feet, but the whitecoat had lost his balance and tripped down the stairs. I glanced quickly out the window- it seemed Isaac's meeting was not going so well, either. The female whitecoat was using the same paging device the now-unconscious whitecoat had, and Isacc was scrambling across the room, large square pack in hand.

"Now we go," I said, pulling myself to my feet. I ran for the stairs and almost tripped as another smaller explosion shook the building to its foundations. "Hurry!"

Bella and I dashed down the stairs and through the computer room, then out the hole in the wall. A loud alarm was blaring and lights were flashing all down the hall. Apollo was flapping his wings in a frenzy out I the hallway, circling around a light fixture. Bella reached out and caught him by a tail feather and pulled him squirming into her arms.

"Bella? Christine!" Isaac burst through the door, large pack now slung over his back. He looked down and nodded to us; if he noticed the vandalized door, he hid it well. "We have to go." Without another word Isaac turned and bolted back down the hallway toward the reception area. In the large room people were panicking, running to and fro. The secretary seemd to have abandoned her position; as we ran by, Isaac snatched something from her desk.

We crashed through the front doors and kept running, shoving through crowds of commuters and we did not stop running until the south gate to the city was within sight. Isaac stopped short of the gate, turning back to the city. The Beyond building stood in the center, a flashing beacon of red. The alarm could still be heard from where we were standing.

"Phew." Isaac sighed and set his pack down, rubbing the shoulder he slung it over. "That was close." I shot him a look; he shrugged. "Didn't go as well as planned. I thought Heather was still on my side. . ." he noticed my confused expression and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Christine. I can't explain it to you yet. . . All in due time."

I frowned and sat down beside him. He reached out and scratched behind an ear with his hand.

"I promise, though. We will put an end to Beyond," he smiled at me. Apollo, having relinquished himself from Bella's grip, perched on his shoulder. "Hey, I've got this," Isaac pointed to the square pack. "That's better than nothing."

I sighed. It was a shallow victory. I learned a bit more about Beyond's plans, but it was all so cryptic. . . What did that mean? What did this Project Aura have to do with me, or with Shadow or Rose or Bella or Blaze?

Bella sat down beside me, rubbing her forehead absentmindedly. She put a friendly arm around my shoulder and gave me a grin. "Hey, we're all still together. As long as we have that, we can surely win."

I smiled in spite of myself. Isaac was right. We may not have had a lot, but we had each other.

And that was more than enough.

**A/N: I know, I know. I really don't want to spend the rest of the night brainstorming, so I shall wrap up here and promise to you that all my updates from here on out will be much, **_**much**_** quicker!**

**. . . we'll see how that goes, I guess.**


	16. My Angel

**Author's Note: Heya, guys! It's been WAAAAAAY too long. I had so much to do over the summer months that I scarcely found time to do anything good and productive. However, I have buckled down! I know that in order to finish up this story before the end of '09 (or, most likely, early '10), I would have to get to work. However, my timing could not be any less horrifically, hilariously, astonishingly awful. **

**Ayup, it's that time of the year again. . . school's started, which will mean either one of two things: either A) My writing productivity will decrease greatly or B) My writing productivity will increase greatly.**

**Seriously. I have **_**no**_** idea. It seems like I can write better and more when I have less free time. Go figure. I'll be really working at this, though. I promise. There's still a bit of story left to go, but I promise that I will not disappoint! You have my solemn word, readers!**

**Lastly, as an apology for taking so damn long to update, here's an extra-long chapter for you guys!**

He was going to kill her.

He lowered his nose to the paw prints in the road, inhaled deeply. His sharp nose could still catch her scent. Faintly, but it was there. And they were hers, alright. Several other pairs of footprints beside it only confirmed this.

The tracks were fairly fresh, too. They had passed through not too long ago. They were close. It brought a cruel smile to his face, knowing how very near she was, not knowing he was right there behind her. He chuckled.

He was going to kill her.

"Hey, Red." A tall black dog stood beside him, eyeing the tracks with interest. Houndoom. A damn fool. He was certainly no replacement for his usual partner. "What'cha got here, Red?"

He groaned. Each time that _repugnant_ dog used that _idiotic_ nickname, it made him want to chew his own ears off. Or perhaps just tear the throat out of the source of his irritation. "Her tracks. It won't be long now."

"Yeah?" Houndoom trailed off, staring vacantly at the paw marks in the earth. The dog glanced back up. "So. . . what now?"

He groaned. "We follow them," he growled, barely keeping his temper down. "I thought someone of your. . . _abilities_ would know how to track."

Houndoom cleared his throat, looking sheepish. "Ahem. . . well, of course I do." He straightened, took a look down at the tracks, took a few steps in the wrong direction. He turned back, clearing his throat again. "Er. . . after you, Red. I insist."

He shook his head, brushing past the useless mutt. He didn't need him anyway. He could track her all by himself.

He was going to kill her, after all.

()()()()()()()()()()

Bella rubbed her forehead for about the billionth time, wincing as she did. It worried me, but whenever I asked she dismissed it quickly, telling me it was nothing to be concerned about. Which, of course, made me more concerned.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked her as we walked. "Maybe you should have Isaac take a look at that."

"I'm fine," she said quickly, absently rubbing her head again. She winced again but tried to hide it with a smile. "Besides, Isaac said our first priority is to get as much distance between us and the city as possible."

I nodded. He had sounded very serious about it, too. We were stopped at the gate leading out of Metro; they had closed it down to travelers after the explosion. Isaac had handled the situation with incredible calmness, though, simply flashing the guard his Beyond ID and explaining he needed to leave on "official business". We were allowed through without too much suspicion.

As soon as everyone else was out of earshot, Isaac began breaking down the situation. He said that the meeting had not gone as planned, but our overall goal was still to take out Beyond's main headquarters in Serenity and that plan was still intact. He said as long as we can distance ourselves from Metro for the time being, nothing has been compromised.

"I don't know, _Signora_," Apollo tsked from his perch on Isaac's shoulder. "Perhaps it would be wise to take a look."

"I'm _fine_," Bella insisted. I groaned, knowing she was far too stubborn to do anything about it herself, much less accept advice from us. I crossed behind the Nidoqueen and tugged on the leg of Isaac's pants.

"Hm?" He glanced down at me. "What is it, Christine?" Subtly I nodded at Bella, who was once again rubbing her forehead. Isaac frowned and nodded at me, understanding. "You're right, Christine. I think it's time we took a break, anyways."

We walked a bit off the side of the road and Isaac set down his equipment in a small meadow. Almost immediately Apollo flew off to scout the road ahead while Bella and I took a seat next to Isaac's pack. I took a moment to breathe in the fresh air, heavy with the smell of wildflowers, and appreciate the beauty of the meadow. The sun was casting a warm glow high overhead, beginning its lazy journey westward. It was refreshing, especially after the chaos that was our eventful trip to Metro.

"Let's take a look. . ." Isaac knelt down beside Bella, running his fingers across her forehead. Bella frowned and cringed under his hands until Isaac stopped, sat up, opened up his large square pack and began rummaging through it. "It would appear," he said, fishing through a large pocket and resurfacing holding a long pair of tweezers. "That you have miniscule shards of glass lodged in your forehead. How did that happen?"

It didn't occur to me either until Bella gave me a sheepish grin. I suddenly remembered back in the Beyond building, when Bella rashly broke open the glass door with her head and fists. I chuckled. "Won't do that again, I bet?"

Bella laughed. "It was worth it. You found out a bit more about your son, right?"

I nodded. I definitely remembered that part. The computer screens, flashing with information about my son, about this whole mess. All this nonsense about Auras and crowns and so many projects. . . I couldn't make head or tail of it. And it wasn't like I could ask Isaac about it, either. I would have to figure this out by myself.

Bella continued, "What did you find out? Was there anything about your mate, Christine?"

I froze. As much information there was about clones and crowns who knows what else. . . the slides had mentioned nothing of Blaze. He would still be out there, presumably looking for me. I shook my head slowly.

"No. . . there wasn't anything." I wasn't sure how I felt, knowing he was still out there. A part of me still clung to the hope that he would snap out of this. . . but the likelihood of that happening was getting bleaker by the day. I sighed.

"Are you alright, Christine?" Bella was looking at me with worry, apparently noticing something was wrong. I nodded, but she persisted. "Is it about him, Christine? About Blaze?"

I nodded and sighed, partly out of depression and partly that I am far too easy to read. "I'm just not sure what to think anymore, Bella." I shook my head, wondering how it all came to this. Where had things taken such a sour turn? It seemed those happy days I spent curled up against my mate's side were just yesterday, but also impossibly long ago.

"Christine. . . you know we may cross paths with him again." She put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "What will you do then, Christine? Can you fight him? Can we trust you to make a rational decision?"

I didn't respond for a long moment, staring at the ground, absorbing her words. Eventually I sighed, slumping to the ground. I rested my head on my forepaws. "I don't know, Bella. I. . . I really don't know."

We both sat in silence. Bella cringed slightly beneath the working of Isaac's tweezers, but otherwise allowed me to gather my thoughts, as if that would happen. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, a convoluted frenzy of memories of my old life and the worries of the new, thrown together and spun like a washing machine gone mad.

"You still love him, don't you?" Bella asked slowly. She hesitated, then looked at me. "After all that's happened, everything he's done. . . you still love him."

My heart leapt into my throat at her words, and the tears soon followed. Bella scooched closer and wrapped an arm around me, silently allowing me cry into her shoulder. I felt Isaac's gaze watching me questioningly. I ignored him, letting my sorrow flow freely.

Bella waited until my wracking sobs became sniffles and short, shuddering breaths. She patted my shoulder in an attempt to console me. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Bella." My voice cracked as I spoke. I sniffed, then sat back and out of Bella's grasp. "I love my Blaze to death. . . I don't think I can bear to face him again. Not now."

"Christine?" The voice had come from above. Apollo had returned and was perched on a tall rock near us, holding a small bright orange flower in his beak. "Are you feeling well? Perhaps the human should take a look at you, as well. . ."

I shook my head, driving away all the negative thoughts. "No, no, I'm alright. Just. . . tired." I did my best to give the bird a convincing grin. "It's been a long, eventful day, has it not?"

Needless to say, Bella wasn't convinced. Luckily, before she got a chance to speak Isaac finished picking glass, grabbed the Nidoqueen by the chin and lifted her face up to meet his gaze. "No more playing in broken glass, alright? You may be thick-skinned, but if any were to get in your eyes or ears, you'd be in a load of trouble."

Bella groaned. She gave a sideways look at me. "He treats me like such a child sometimes. . . can't he see I'm not little anymore?"

I shrugged. "He's only looking out for you, Bella." I looked to Isaac, who was preoccupied with digging through the square pack, then back to Bella. "Besides, despite how big you may be physically, you can't be much older than my own children."

Bella huffed and folded her arms in defeat, but did not pursue the argument. I heard Apollo warbling from his perch, his strange bird laugh. After a moment, the humor of the situation hit like a tidal wave and I gave in to the infectious chuckle, and soon the three of us were laughing, leaving all the troubles of the day behind. No doubt the outburst was as much out of relief as anything else. Our emotions had run so high that we had finally hit the reset button. We had survived the ordeals of Metro. We were lucky to be alive. So we laughed.

Isaac resurfaced from his pack with a small tube filled with a viscous blue fluid. He looked to me as he squirted some into his palm and rubbed it between his hands. "It was a blessing to have found this pack, you know. It's got all of my medical supplies." He held up a pair of blue-stained hands. "This is a salve of my own creation. It disinfects, soothes pain, and promotes healing in small injuries."

Bella looked thoughtful, tears still streaming down her face from laughter. "I remember when he was still creating this stuff." She stuck out her tongue as Isaac set to work rubbing the material into her forehead. "It does not taste good, trust me."

I chuckled, still feeling a bit giddy from our bout of good humor. At that moment, all my troubles were a distant nagging in the back of my mind. Everything felt good and right. It was wonderful to be here with my friends. It was wonderful to laugh and to smile and to enjoy myself, even if it were just for this moment.

"I'm going to get some sleep," I announced, standing up. I suddenly felt very weary, and I knew I might as well have gotten some sleep as long as we were taking a break. Apollo nodded and Bella gave me a soft smile.

"Sleep well, Christine. Things will be better after some rest, I promise." She nodded knowingly at me. I stepped away from the group and curled up in a small space among the aromatic wildflowers. Blaze passed through my mind once more, then I was fast asleep in a well-deserved respite.

()()()()()()()()()()

They were so close now.

He had to stop himself from licking his chops. Her scent was so heavy. . . soon he would taste her, feel the pulse of her fragile neck between his jaws, bite down until the breaths ceased to be. . .

"Oy, Red." It was Houndoom again, of course. Making noise, again. Of course.

"Don't you understand the meaning of 'stealth'?" he hissed at the black dog, who seemed taken aback. As if it were such a personal affront against him that he had reason to be offended.

He scoffed. He could care less what Houndoom thought of him. The dog wore a golden crown but he was more fit to play the part of jester than king. His power was from circumstance, not ability. There would be no forgetting that.

"What are you planning, Red?" Houndoom persisted anyways, and once again with that _infuriating_ nickname.

"We'll circle around," he said, indicating the path ahead of them. They would have to move quickly, but with any luck the plan would go off flawlessly. "And we'll cut them off en route to Greywood. Blindside them by flanking on either side."

Houndoom just stared vacantly, quite obviously not having understood a single word of the plan. He groaned, unable to believe the black dog's astonishing stupidity.

"Just follow me. I'll tell you what to do when we get there." He started down the path but was cut off by a black foreleg.

"Hold on a minute," Houndoom demanded, setting his paw down. He leaned in, glaring with narrow eyes. "Remember who is in charge here."

He scoffed again, not one to be intimidated by cowards. "Why, has neglect made you forget already?" Houndoom blinked, looking as if he was trying to figure out if he should be pleased or infuriated.

It didn't matter, though, because he had started down the road once more regardless, leaving the jester to his own foolishness. They were so close, it didn't matter anymore.

Nothing could stop them now.

()()()()()()()()()()

I was sitting atop a plateau in my dream, overlooking a verdant land much like the one I had fallen asleep in. Land green with grass and plants seemed to stretch forever into. . . nothingness. Nothing seemed to have and end here. I noticed at the base of my plateau the land split wide in a yawning chasm, its dark depths seeming bottomless.

On the other side of the chasm, though, was a sad sight. The earth was dusty brown and cracked, and frail plants withered under an unforgiving sun. On the opposite edge of the fissure was a plateau that could have been a twin to the one I stood on, except that is was just as dead and dry as the land surrounding it.

A single figure sat on this other plateau. At first I thought it might be some sort of featureless phantom, but then realized the figure was black as midnight, standing in stark contrast to the bright sky behind it. The figure was rail-thin and looked weary; its long ears drooped low to the ground, its head hung as if shamed. It wasn't until the creature lifted its head, its gaze falling to me that I realized what I was looking at.

"Sh. . Shadow?" I asked aloud, scarcely believing it could be true. The creature, my Shadow, seemed to sit up straighter, lifting its head to get a better look. I took a tentative step forward, ready to call out to my son again.

"Christine?" A hauntingly familiar voice surprised me, made me stop dead in my tracks. _It can't be, _I thought, _It can't be him here, not now._ I didn't dare look behind me, for fear of what I might have seen. Regardless, I felt his presence. I had to know.

I turned on the spot, facing the new arrival, finding myself face-to-face with. . . Blaze. But not the Blaze I now knew. His eyes were soft and lined with weariness, he graced me with a warm smile that made my heart melt. There was no red crown of metal around his head, nothing to suggest that my Blaze had changed at all. It killed me to see him here like this. I wanted to give in to the happiness, to cry out of joy and relief, but I knew this wasn't real. This isn't who he was anymore.

"I missed you, Christine," Blaze said, that relentless smile burrowing guilt deep into my soul. I felt the tears coming before they began rolling down my cheeks. I smiled back at Blaze.

"I've missed you too, Blaze." I took a hesitant step, then another until I was right by his side. I felt the warmth radiating from his body. I rested my head on his chest. For an illusion, he sure felt convincingly real.

Blaze's chin rested against my forehead, soft and comforting. "I promise I would never do anything to hurt you. . ." He smiled and wrapped an leg around me, pulling me close to him. He was warmer than I remembered. "Christine. . . my sweet angel."

"Blaze. . ." It was all I managed to say before I was ravaged by sobs. I buried my face in his chest, loving his warmth, taking in his smell. I repeated his name, loving the sound, wanting for this to all be real if I said it enough. It was all too familiar to be fake. This was real. My Blaze had returned to me.

"Oh, Blaze!" A voice, high-pitched to mock my own, came from behind us, followed closely by gagging noises. I sat up, suddenly alerted by a deep growl coming from my Blaze's chest. The voice's owner laughed. "Disgusting! It's a wonder I put up with you for so long!"

It was the Blaze. Well, the Blaze that had become all too familiar to me now. I recognized him immediately: bright, wild eyes and ragged fur. Teeth bared, body lowered into an offensive stance, cold red crown gleaming in the light. He stood opposite me, reflecting my Blaze like a twisted mirror image.

"Get out of here," my Blaze growled, pulling me closer to himself protectively. "You don't belong here. Not ever again."

The new Blaze glared at the two of us, his grin growing wider. I could see my reflection in his crown, my image twisted in the red metal. He paced in front of us, keeping his head low, his teeth bared menacingly. I did not wish to show that I was terrified, but I could not help burrowing a bit more into my blaze's protective embrace.

"Sorry, _Red_," the new Blaze snarled, using some name I had never heard before, apparently addressing my Blaze. "This is who we are now. You can't hide it. Love it or leave it, pal."

My Blaze look to me and exchanged a smile with me. He shook his head at the other Blaze. "No. This is who I am now. I belong here. . ." He gave me another smile and a loving lick on the head. "with my mate, Christine. I will protect her from you, no matter what it takes."

New Blaze threw his head up and laughed hard, until his laughter became a long, raspy howl. I shivered and moved closer to my Blaze, and he helped by wrapping his legs tighter around me.

"_You _will protect her from _me_?" New Blaze cackled, bearing down on us. I could feel the intensity of his heat, even beside my Blaze. New Blaze looked us straight in the eye, and I could see a strange calm behind the crazed fury of his gaze. "Fool! You _are_ me!"

"NO!" My Blaze shouted, the heat from his body intensifying. He rose to his feet, standing over me, matching his counterpart's glare. "I refuse to believe that I could ever become. . . _this_."

"Oh, believe it, Red." New Blaze chuckled, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth. "You'll become this, alright. But only after you've seen the light."

"So what's the light?"

New Blaze grinned wide. "That we're _sooo_ much happier without _her_." He gestured to me with a wave of his paw, as if dismissing an object of personal disgust.

My Blaze paused, relaxing his stance, staring at the new Blaze intently. "Without. . . Christine?"

New Blaze chuckled. "Already you're beginning to doubt. You're becoming me."

I gasped. My Blaze appeared to be slowly fading out of existence, while new Blaze seemed to grow stronger in his presence here. My Blaze turned to me, horror creating a terrible mask of his face.

"Christine. . . it's not true! I would never. . .-"

"Admit it, Red!" New Blaze cackled joyously. "You've always thought it! You've always missed the sweet embrace of our dear Azmaria. You've always felt of leaving her, but felt guilty about leaving such a poor, _pitiful_ creature to die in the wild."

I knew that nothing new Blaze said could be true. . . but his words still hurt. My Blaze shook his head, mouthing words but no sound escaped. He gave me a look that spoke a hundred thousand soliloquies: the terror in his eyes said it all, the longing for me, a promise of strength, a reassurance.

My Blaze disappeared, his warmth diminishing and his figure slowly fading into nothing. I was left with the new Blaze, grinning, eyeing me with a predatorial hunger. He panted heavily, tongue lolling out of his mouth in some sick, perverted desire.

"It's too late to save me, Christine," he chuckled, licking his lips. "It's time to join the damned."

()()()()()()()()()()

I awoke screaming.

From the amount of light, it appeared that I had slept for several hours. That, or the gloom had been caused by the giant thunderclouds that had moved in while I was asleep. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but in that time I was assaulted by a hundred other senses. The air that had smelled like fragrant wildflowers now smelled foul of smoke. A strange light played off in the distance, along with faint sounds that I could not make out. I crawled to my feet and headed toward the source.

When I had gone to take a nap, I found small path of dirt and scrub through the tall plants of the fields that led to a small meadow not too far from where Bella and the others had stopped to rest. Now when I arrived back at the opening of the trail, all of my worst fears were realized.

There was fire everywhere, burning up patches of field and setting the trees ablaze. I could see from here that the main road was blocked off in either direction by walls of flame. As a water Pokemon, I have found that I have no reason to fear fire because it does not burn my skin, but it was not the raging inferno that scared me. In the middle of the burning ring were Isaac, Bella, and Apollo, fending off a black dog Pokemon. Houndoom.

"Bella!" I shouted, leaping down from the path and over a patch of flame. I figured that I could have put out some of the fires, but it was spreading so rapidly and had so much fuel to burn that it would have been useless and a waste of energy to try to extinguish it all.

"Christine?" Bella turned to me just as Houndoom pounced on her. Bella caught the dog in midair and flipped him in her arms, tossing him over her shoulder. The dog recovered quickly, leaping to his feet and simply. . . disappearing.

"Bella, look out!" Apollo cried from the air, diving down to intercept another one of Houndoom's pounces. The dog seemed to dodge in and out of sight, appearing in one spot for one moment then pouncing from another the next moment.

"You cannot possibly hope to win this time, you insolent whelps!" Houndoom cried, taking a single step and somehow appearing several feet to the left of Bella. "I have the strength of Beyond on my side!" He opened his maw wide and shot a jet of flame at Bella, who dove out of the way just in time to avoid the attack.

I was frozen, rooted to my spot. I couldn't comprehend the black dog's sudden abilities. The dog moved with a fluid ease and attacked with a furious strength I had never seen before.

"Christine, duck!" Apollo shouted, alerting me to Houndoom's next assault, this one aimed directly for me. The dog leapt through the air, pouncing at me while firing off a burst of dark energy. I could think of nothing to do on a split-second reaction, so I ducked, stupidly hoping it would help somehow.

At the last second Apollo swooped down, taking the brunt of the dog's pounce and knocking the dog off course. Houndoom landed on top of the bird with a sickening crunch and was immediately back on his feet, looking at me. He took one step, two, a jet of flame forming inside his jaw.

A foot came from nowhere, nailing Houndoom on the side of the head and knocking the dog silly. This time it was Isaac who had saved me, wielding some sort of metal rod with both hands. He shot me a quick look.

"Christine, run! They're here for you!" He scooped up the injured Apollo in one arm, and ran to join Bella in fending off the black dog.

" _They_?" I wondered aloud, but I had no time to ponder his meaning. I collected myself and followed him into the fray.

()()()()()()()()()()

The fool had gone and blown the plan.

It was simple enough. Wait in one spot for them to pass by, then alert him- up ahead on the path- with a simple smoke signal. That way, the two of them could close in on the group from either side, effectively flanking them.

But no. The damned dog had lost his patience and ran off to where the group of them had stopped to rest. So not only had Houndoom lost the element of surprise, but he was so far down the road that the fight would no doubt be over by the time he arrived.

He made a note to kill the blasted dog one of these days, as well. As soon as he had outlived his usefulness. Beyond had no need for failures like him.

But that did not matter, so long as he still got to her. That was all he needed. To hell with Houndoom and the rest of them. Christine was his only concern.

He was going to kill her, after all.

()()()()()()()()()()

Even after witnessing his strange new ability, somehow I still had managed to underestimate Houndoom.

Yeah, that's right. I _under_estimated Houndoom. His fluid motions were too quick for us to anticipate his attacks, which seemed to be coming from a creature five times his strength.

"Christine, duck!" Bella dove over me, shielding me with her body as Houndoom pounced on her unprotected back. She flipped over and kicked the dog away, then reached to me and helped me to my feet. "Look alive, Christine!"

It was difficult enough keeping on top of the situation. Apollo had been badly injured when Houndoom landed on him, so Isaac had taken him aside to keep him safe while Bella and I fought.

The fight was with Bella mostly, though, because she seemed to be able to keep up with the dark creature's lightning-quick attacks. I noticed movement from the corner of my eye and ducked just in time to avoid a jet of flame. I raised my head to return with a Hydro Pump of my own, but Houndoom had already disappeared, locked in a struggle with Bella. I was astonished by his speed. I would be no use in the battle if I couldn't keep track of what was happening!

That's when it clicked- I couldn't speed up my own reflexes, but I knew I could slow down Houndoom's!

"Bella!" I shouted, already formulating a plan in my mind. If my suspicions were correct, this could mean all the difference! Bella glanced over her shoulder briefly and returned to her struggle with Houndoom.

"Christine, I'm sort of busy!"

"Just keep him busy, Bella! I have an idea." Bella nodded in response, her grin showing she understood. She placed a hand on Houndoom's neck and one on the base of his spine, hefted him into the air and tossed him through the air. She chuckled, obviously enjoying her new job.

I sat back, closing my eyes, trying to figure out what I had done against Blaze so long ago. Somehow I had slowed time, I had predicted where his attacks would be ahead of time. I took a deep breath, trying to filter out the noise of the battle. I exhaled, venting my anger, my confusion, my hesitation. I needed full concentration.

Then suddenly, coming slowly into focus like an old television set, I saw the battle happening in my head. Bella and Houndoom moved in slow motion, as if through molasses, their attacks gliding with beautiful gracefulness. Faint images floated around them, showing where their next move would bring them.

I finally got a good look at Houndoom. It was the same Pokemon, all right, but he had a strange look of confidence and determination that belied everything I had come to know about him. I noticed something odd; he bore a crown on his head, much like Blaze's, except instead of dark red it was bright yellow. It concerned me, I wondered if it had anything to do with his newfound power.

I took another deep breath, watching the battle unfold, looking for a pattern in Houndoom's movement. Even slowed down, his motions seemed impossibly quick and able to cover long distances in an unearthly short time. I spotted a good spot to intercept the black dog, and took one more deep breath for good measure, feeling the rising pressure of water in my chest.

When I opened my eyes, the battle raged. I held my breath for a split second longer, then released a powerful burst of water right on the spot I predicted Houndoom would be. No sooner had I done that than the dog jumped back, right into the path of my attack. The Hydro Pump hit him full-on, sweeping him off his feet and sending him crashing into the field. Bella gave me a thumbs-up and a smile, then leapt after him, eager to use this new opportunity to her advantage.

Almost immediately the maneuver took its toll on me. I felt suddenly very weary, like all my muscles had been strained beyond breaking point simultaneously. I felt exhausted, but I was confidant that Bella would be able to finish the fight with Houndoom. I prepared to sit back, or perhaps return to Isaac's side when I felt a shiver, starting from the nape of my neck and slink all the way down my spine.

Something Isaac said nagged at me, far in the back of my mind. He had said "they" were here for me. Who were _they_?

It didn't take long for me to come to my conclusion. I had thought it weird that Houndoom, even in his superpowerful state would travel alone. I now knew this not to be true.

I turned and came face to face with my mate, my Blaze.

He grinned, as if he knew some great secret that I missed out on. In the blazing light his crown appeared to be the color of blood, shadows shifting with the movement of the inferno surrounding us. The light danced madly in his eyes, giving him a look of crazed determination.

"Hello. . . my dear." He chuckled, sending more shivers down my spine.

"Blaze," I said curtly, hoping to play up that I was not afraid of him. I thought back to my dream, that look in his eyes. In both of their eyes. I took my place across from my mate, my foe, and I knew that this would be it. This was our final showdown; I would either lose my mate forever or reclaim my Blaze's soul. Whatever the case, I knew one fact for certain.

I was ready for him. I would fight for my Blaze, no matter what.

I had hoped that my first attack would catch him by surprise, but when I swung my tail outwards he dodged off to the side. I followed up with a blast of water, but he was already gone.

I looked around, confused. He was nowhere to be seen and for a moment I considered slowing the battle down in my mind once more to get a better hold of the situation. I didn't get the chance as a blast of fire flew by my face. I jumped back and reacted just quickly enough upon landing to dodge another fire blast. The new Blaze was glaring daggers at me, teeth bared, smoke curling from his nostrils.

"I will kill you, Christine," he announced grimly. He opened his jaws wide and fired another burst of flame, which I dodged easily by rolling off to the side. "I will kill you if it is the last thing I do!"

"What happened, Blaze?" I cried out, already feeling tears dangerously close to showing my weakness. I shook them away, concentrating instead on the situation at hand. I had to remain strong for Blaze, but I was already feeling weak from my earlier attack on Houndoom.

I fired a weak jet of water at new Blaze, but he sidestepped it without any sign of effort and launched another burst of flame. I rolled out of the way but felt the heat singe the fur of my tail. I cried out, falling to my side.

"It's nothing personal, _Christine_," new Blaze growled, standing tall over me. I swept my tail out under him, but he had seen the trick before. He jumped back and launched three more short burst of flame, one on either side of me and the last behind him. I got slowly to my feet, realization suddenly dawning in my mind. None of Blaze's attacks had been aimed for me: he had been constructing a ring of fire around the two of us, creating a deranged arena of twisting flames. The burning smell of the wildflowers was sickly sweet, joining with the already acrid scent of smoke in the air.

Blaze grinned as I coughed, unable to breathe for lack of clean air. He chuckled sadistically, circling around our burning prison. I followed suit, albeit with much less of an air of confidence.

"So this is it, eh, Christine?" Blaze seemed to be enjoying himself greatly. This was _not_ the Blaze I knew, the Blaze I loved. I refused to believe it. "I'm going to kill you, and Beyond will finally be free of you as a burden. Everybody wins!"

"W-why would you do this, Blaze?" I coughed. The heat of the fire was hurting my eyes, forcing me to squint, and I could almost feel my self becoming me dehydrated. "You told me you loved me, you were with me this whole time. . . I d-don't believe that you would change your mind so quickly."

Blaze sighed. "Denial is unhealthy, Christine." He gave me a wicked grin. "But so is smoke, and you seem to enjoying that well enough!"

I was not in the mood for jokes. "Why, Blaze?"

Blaze pounced on me, but I no longer had the strength to fight back. He looked me directly in the eye, all business. "Look, Christine. I never, _ever_ loved you. You were just a tool for me to use until I could safely return to Beyond," he smiled coyly, ". . . and to Azmaria."

I wanted to scream, but all that came out was a strangled cough. "B-but you told me-"

"That I was over her?" Blaze scoffed, rolling his eyes. "To be fair, she was first. Oh, and she'll actually be able to bear me some children one day." He eyed me like one might eye a festering sore. "Unlike you, you sorry, pathetic excuse for a Pokemon."

"Blaze. . ." The heat was getting to me. My insides ached, and my old toxin injuries burned just from their mentioning. I coughed again, unable to form a logical sentence.

Blaze was relentless; he knew he had defeated me physically, that he no longer needed his strength. He fought now emotionally, with words as his weapons. "A weak, frail Pokemon, never able to protect herself. Always needing others to help. Always." He shrugged, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "The same was true when you were a human, so I hear. Let's face it: you're weak. I'm doing this world a favor by destroying you."

I knew tears were flowing freely, stinging my eyes and obscuring my vision, but I could do nothing to stop them. Everything he said hit home. Of course I was weak. Of course I had always asked for help. Of course I could do nothing on my own. . . I was hopeless. A failure. Blaze grinned once more, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he murmured. He lowered his head and I thought he was moments from closing them around my neck, but instead he gave me a soft kiss on the forehead. A mockery. "Good night, Christine."

I was suddenly filled with images of all the times I had spent with Blaze, every night that we had been together and he had said the same thing and kissed my head the same way. I thought back to all the things he'd said, all the times he'd helped me. It couldn't have been fake. The old Blaze was not the lie. . . this new, terrible creature was the lie. My Blaze was still alive, trapped in this monstrous prison.

I remembered what he had said in my dream. That he would do anything to fight for me. He had called me his angel.

Even now I do not know if my strength had come from some hidden wellspring within me, or if the desperation of the moment had fueled me, or if my love for Blaze had truly given me the power of Legendary equivalence, but I found myself throwing Blaze, my love, aside. I rose in the air like the very angel Percy's painting depicted me as, or that my Blaze had so lovingly revered me. A sound escaped my lips, but I could not understand it. I was so lost in the moment, so righteous in my desire to free my mate that all else had become shut out to me. All that mattered was me. . . and the creature between me and my love.

I flipped in the air, and bore down upon Blaze's head with my tail. I felt the band of metal crack, then shatter, and heard the new Blaze's anguished cries as he was sucked back into the abyss from whence he came, lost forever once more into oblivion. I landed back on my feet, stumbled on shaky ground. All the colors flowed together, and at somewhere everything had given into a deluge of fire, or at least that's how it seemed. I was faintly aware that I fell over onto my side, the cold ground a stark contrast to the heat of the flames around me.

I opened my eyes, and there he was. My Blaze, and my Blaze alone. No more demons. No more running, no more chasing. I finally found my mate. My love. My angel.

I passed out there, one paw crossed over Blaze's, a smile on my face.


	17. On the Edge

****

Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone! And what better way to kick off 2010 than with updates all across the board?

You may have noticed that I have a rather large update this time around. Well. . . think of it as a New Year/Christmas/Anniversary present from me to you!

See, this was originally supposed to be an uber-update to celebrate my anniversary. It's been two whole years since I posted my first story on this website, and back then I never thought I would have been as successful as I have been! It's been a lot of fun, even if my update times have gradually lengthened (I'm a little disappointed. . . when I began the two stories I am currently working on, I had hope they would be done by now. But I digress. . .) and I occasionally suffer terrible bouts of writer's block. However, I have forced through the block for this special day (even if it was a while ago)!

Last year I posted a new story on November the 23rd (_Just This Once_) and I decided then that I would come back every year on the anniversary of my debut and post something new. Buuuut. . . as it would be sort of irresponsible for me to begin YET ANOTHER story at this point, I have instead decided to update ALL my current stories all at once, as I'm sure you've all noticed and will appreciate.

So, enjoy the updates, guys and gals! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all, and a happy 2nd year to me! Here's to more years to come! :D

I was bathed in a strange, unexplainable purple light.

It surrounded me, giving my body a soft glow. It was not warm or cold, but seemed to fill me with some feeling of. . . elation? I was entranced by the light's movements, writhing like purple fire but never burning.

With a twinge of disappointment I realized the strange light was slipping off my body and was forming, suspended, in the air before me. The light pulsed in midair, seemed to be watching me, sizing me up. I watched the strange entity with childlike curiosity, its shifting colors drawing in my gaze. As I examined closer, I swear I caught glimpses of the light briefly forming visible shapes and parts: a thins arm here, a large domed head there.

I felt strange waves of emotion as the light danced in the air. Different feelings, feelings of happiness, regret, remorse, enthusiasm, hopefulness, optimism, pain. . . it all crashed over me like a tidal wave, much as the way the ocean breaks against the shore.

"Who are you?" There was no reaction from the light, but I persisted. "How do you know me? Do you know my children?"

At the mention of my children, I suddenly felt pride and anguish wash over me. The light itself glowed bright, as if it was the source of the strange wave of emotions.

"You do know them?" There was no response from the light. "Do you know where there are? Rose? Shadow?"

I felt another wave of emotion, happiness and pride and understanding, when I mentioned my son.

__

You are. . . Christine?

The voice caught me off-guard. It seemed to come from all around and echo within my head, but I safely deduced it was the light speaking to me, spontaneously showing a new form of communication besides channeling emotion.

I nodded. "Yes, I am Christine. You have seen my son?"

The purple light radiated understanding, but beneath that I felt shame. _Yes. . . I knew your son. A fine boy._

I felt uplifted by this revelation. Shadow was okay! He and the other Umbreon must have escaped from the Beyond building in Darsteel. I breathed a sigh of relief. It did a mother good to know that her children were safe in her absence.

"Then he's okay? And you know where he is?"

__

Yes. . .

I expected more, but the light simply shifted in place, neverending in its torrent of emotions.

"Can you tell me where he is?"

__

Yes, I can. . .

I frowned, getting increasingly frustrated by the light. As a human, my younger sister had played this same game with me. "_Will_ you tell me where he is?"

__

No, I will not.

The light emanated confusion. _Is it not enough to know he is safe?_

I was getting exasperated. "I'm relieved he is safe, but I'd like to see him again!" There was no response from the light. I sighed. "Please, at least tell me where he is. Or what he's doing, even."

It took a moment for the light to respond. _Your boy has a mission, specific to him. He is on his quest now, and has many friends to help him along his way._

"But you're not going to tell me where?"

__

No.

"Well. . . thank you for the reassurance, at least." I watched the light a moment longer. "If I may ask. . . who _are_ you? How do you know my Shadow?"

A deep, strong feeling came from the light. Regret. _I was among his companions, once, but no more. _A new feeling, pride. _I have helped him the best I could, but it was time he continued without me._

"Are. . . are you a ghost?" I asked it.

__

I lived once, if that is what you are asking.

I felt the light's sorrow. _I regret leaving the world behind in such a state, when I myself was part of what brought us to this. But. . . _The light seemed to brighten, and I felt a warm radiance of hope. _But it is good to know the world will be in such capable hands._

I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you for telling me this. But. . ." I hesitated. "Do you know if I shall ever see him again? There's something I must do."

The light chuckled. _I do believe you shall meet again before all this is over. _The strange purple being began to fade. _Ah, and Christine?_

"Yes?" I asked tentatively.

__

He forgives you.

The light faded away, leaving me standing alone, in nothingness, until I heard the beep.

()()()()()()()()()()

__

BEEEEEEEEEP.

I cracked my eyes open, only to be greeted by a blinding white light, one very large brown eye, and a head of long, colorful feathers.

"Ah!" Apollo cried, sitting up. "_Signor _Isaac! _Signora_ Bella! She has awoken!"

I groaned. All the lights and the noise made my head throb painfully. "Apollo. . . Where are we?"

"South of the big city," Apollo said loudly, sending another wave of pain rattling through my skull. "Near a river. The big one. _Signor_ Isaac says there is another town nearby, with a bridge we must cross."

As he mentioned it, I began to hear the dull crash of the Clearspring river. If I remembered my geography correctly, Isaac spoke of a small town called Overspring. The town's namesake was due to the bridge over the river, which was really the only reason people passed through anyway.

As my eyes adjusted- I realized a small desk lamp was shining right over my head, which explained my sensitivity to the light- I noticed four blank, white cloth walls, like a small tent. I was lain on a soft, low cot. From the way Apollo was perched beside the bed, I assumed I had been there for a while. I remembered little; the memories were coming back in bits and pieces. I remembered a fight, and fire, and I remembered passing out.

I sighed and grinned up at Percy's bird. "I wish we could go one day without a fight, Apollo." I chuckled. "I already feel like I'm getting old for this nonsense."

"_Ti sento_, Christine. I hear you."

One of the walls was pushed aside by a large blue hand, followed closely by a large blue body.

"Christine!" Bella shouted, sending waves of pain crashing about my head like a hyperactive toddler. She placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, Christine, I was worried we were going to lose you, too."

I shook my head, sort of touched by her concern. "No, I feel fine, Bella. My head aches a bit, but other than that. . ." I glanced around again at the small room. With the addition of Bella's bulk, the small tent seemed crowded. "What is all this? A tent?"

Bella nodded. "An emergency medical tent. There were a few in that big pack that Isaac picked up."

I chuckled. "Well, it looks like that pack came in handy, after all. Who'd have thought?" Apollo chirped his agreement and Bella let out another long sigh, looking incredibly relieved. But something about the look in her eyes bothered me. And. . . there was something she said.

Something was amiss, and as I thought on it, everything seemed to slowly click into place. But something didn't add up. I cocked my head, looked to Bella for answers. "Bella. . . you said you thought you were going to. . . 'lose me, too'? Wh-what do you mean?"

At first, Bella didn't answer. Her eyes drifted away from mine, towards the door flap. I sat up in the bed, my gaze hardening on the Nidoqueen as realization reared its ugly head. "Bella. . . what did you mean?" I didn't need her to answer. It struck me just then. "Bella, where's Blaze?"

"Uh, w-we should really, um, w-w-wait for Isaac. I'm sure he'll want to see how you're-"

"Bella, where is he?" I demanded, trying to get up from my seated position but finding, to my chagrin, I was connected via a long tube and wire to a small device beside the cot. I looked back up at Apollo, who was turned away dejectedly. I noticed Bella slinking back towards the door flap of the tent. "Bella, what's wrong with him? What's wrong with Blaze?"

"Christine, I'm sorry, I need to go get-"

"Bella!" I shouted, rocking my body to try to free myself of my restraints. "Bella, where the hell is my mate!"

"_Signora!_ Calm yourself!" Apollo hopped back off the cot, fluttering his wings nervously.

Isaac stepped through the door flap, looking worse for the wear. He looked tired, his coat was dirty and smeared with. . . blood. Yes, it was definitely blood. The sight made me thrash faster, wishing the damned tube weren't still in my leg and hoping my frantic rocking would soon remedy that situation.

"What's going on? Is she seizing?" Isaac looked between Bella and Apollo, then pulled a needle from the square pack. "Hold on, Christine. . ."

"Christine, calm down!" Bella shouted at me. "You need to be calm, you'll pull out your IV!"

I ignored her, continuing to thrash until I felt the IV tube tearing from my leg, sending fluid spraying across the tent. Apollo was in complete panic mode, flapping and squawking loudly in the air, adding to the noise and chaos. Taking advantage of the confusion, I leapt up, stumbled a bit on shaky legs, but ran right past Isaac and Bella and through the tent flap.

Outside, it was beginning to get dark. Apollo wasn't kidding when he said we set up camp near the river; it couldn't have been more than twenty or thirty feet from the tent I emerged from. Looking around, I saw another tent, similar to my own, set up about ten feet away. Over the din of the river I could hear a mechanical beeping coming from the tent.

"Blaze," I breathed, racing for the tent. I pushed aside the door flap with my nose. Nothing could've prepared me for what lay inside.

The tent's layout was similar to mine: four white cloth walls, a small desk with a lamp and small medical device I couldn't name. In the corner was a cot where a frail-looking orange figure was laying, hooked to various other medical devices in more ways than I ever would have imagined.

"Blaze," I said again, my eyes beginning to feel misty. My chest tightened at the sight- Blaze lay, eyes closed, mouth hung open, fur dirty and matted with sweat and blood. He looked awful. It seemed as if nothing kept him connected to this world but the needles and tubes attached to the devices. I wanted to go to him, but I could barely conjure the courage to move a single step.

There was a paw on my shoulder. Bella appeared, watching me with sympathetic eyes, with Isaac trailing right behind her. No one said a word for a moment that seemed to stretch on to eternity, with only the whine of machinery and the crash of the river below to break the silence.

"I'm sorry, Christine," Isaac said somberly. "We've done everything we possibly can."

()()()()()()()()()()

It always seems, when things can't get any worse, it starts to rain. As much as it is a powerful and necessary force, it's such a simple thing, too. Though the water shed during a rainstorm feeds the planet and makes life possible, it always seems to put a depressing damper on any situation.

"The situation is complicated," Isaac tried to explain. I scarcely heard half of what he said. I was numb. "The way you removed his crown was rather. . . unorthodox. He's free from Beyond's control, yes, but he had had the crown so long he was at a stage where it needs to be removed under safe procedure. . ."

I could only sit and watch my mate lie there, unmoving, fearing every moment would be the one that death claimed him. Bella tried to console me, held me close to her and said kind, soothing things, but I was beyond being soothed. Apollo voiced his own sympathies to me, and promised he would watch over Blaze like. . . well, like a hawk, and would alert me if anything changed.

So I stepped outside. Bella began to follow me, but decided I would be better off being alone for the time being, which worked for me just fine. I needed some fresh air to clear my head.

So, obviously, the minute I stepped outside the emergency medical tent it began to rain.

I sighed, but inside it sort of felt good to know that Mother Nature felt the same way as I did. One thing that does make sudden depression better is suddenly being depressed with someone else. Better yet if that someone else is a metaphorical force of nature.

I didn't recognize at all where we were. I never ventured too far from Darsteel my whole human life, so this entire half of the Region, minus the river, was completely foreign to me. The Clearspring river remained a constant, though, aiding to remind me of what life had once been. Of course, dwelling on that only made my feel worse about myself.

I walked closer to the mouth of the river, peered down into its depths. There was no railing here like there was at busier intervals of the river, so I was careful not too lean too far over, lest I lost my balance. I may have been a water type, but no matter how good a swimmer I was, a fall from so high up would surely kill me in itself. That, or knock me out and leave me to drown in the river. I shuddered at the irony.

I lifted my chin to the sky, closed my eyes, letting the rain roll across my cheeks. The icy coldness of the rain bit at me, but I didn't mind it. It was a reminder that everything going on around me really was happening. It wasn't a dream this time: my nightmares had come true.

Blaze. My Blaze. My heart, my soul, my angel. . . was he going to die? Isaac assured me that he was doing everything in his power to help. He told me everything was going to be okay, but he hadn't sounded entirely convinced of himself. I trusted Isaac to know what he was doing, but I was loath to admit it probably would not make a difference. I could feel it weighing down my heart like a heavy stone.

I couldn't help another little niggling feeling in the back of my mind. This all seemed familiar somehow. It felt almost like the feeling when I fought Blaze, and Houndoom before him. Like I knew what was going to happen. Like I had experienced this all before. Déjà vu.

_My dream_. It came to me so suddenly, I was a bit thrown off by the thought. I checked around- everything was here. The cliff, the river, the rain. It was all so vivid in my dream, there was absolutely no mistaking it.

This is where my dreams showed I would kill myself.

Or try to, at least. I remembered Bella stopped me in my dream. Glancing around, she was nowhere to be seen, and the campsite was some distance away. I couldn't help but wonder if she would come to my rescue again.

_No, don't be silly,_ I scolded myself, shaking my head. Bella wouldn't need to save me, because I would never need saving. Yes, the situation was bleak, but no matter how terrible it looked, how could I ever look to suicide as a solution?

I sat by the edge of the cliff, peering down into the body of the river, wondering how death could appear a solution to anything. Was death not the cause of my worries already? With Blaze on his deathbed, still clinging to life but only just, would ending my own really be a good idea. And even if Blaze were to die. . .

I had to pause myself mid-thought. I hadn't even considered what I would do if Blaze actually died. The possibility of it happening just didn't seem to be there, but. . . Now I was looking it dead in the face. My Blaze could die. It felt like a dream but the crash of the river, the frigid sting of the rain told me it was all very, very real.

I gasped, suddenly unable to catch my breath. I felt panic creeping from the corners of my mind, crushing me in the reality of its cold grip. No! Blaze couldn't die, he just couldn't! After all I'd gone through to save him, after coming such a long way to free him from Beyond, and they take him away at the last moment! It was unfair. . . hadn't I suffered at their hands far enough? From losing my own family, to becoming Pokemon, to losing Eddie and my own children. . . and now this? Was I going to lose Blaze, my angel, my soul mate, my heart?

We do not understand the depth of our appreciation until we are left alone and are about to lose the thing we never realized we held most dear. In that moment, it becomes clear, and then it's gone.

I loved him. I really, really loved him. It was a sudden, simple truth, and not like before. Before I loved him as much as any female could love a male, from the deepest depths of my heart, but not it felt. . . insignificant. To loved him in my heart wasn't nearly enough. I loved him with every move I made, with every breath I took. He was as much of my new Pokemon self as I was. He made me whole. He was everything to me, my earth, my stars, my soul.

And now I was about to lose him, and as every agonizing moment passed, that river was looking more and more inviting. I felt light-headed and short of breath; I sniffed and realized that I had been crying hard, but I hadn't noticed with the rain.

I peered back over the edge of the cliff, down to the river below. Could I do it? Could I really take my own life? A sharp pain in my chest told me that I could not go on without him. I couldn't stand to take another loss, to know I was destined to die alone. Blaze was all but dead. . . why not save myself the pain now?

It was so simple. Just me and the cliff. The cliff and I. I only had to take one step, two at the most. . . it would all be over in seconds. No more death. No more fear. No more pain. No more Beyond. I could end the madness. . . just peace and quiet.

My mind told me all this. Yes, it was so simple_. But why can't I take the step!_

"Christine?"

My mind urged my body forward, but my legs seemed to resist of their own accord, planting me firmly on the ground. What's happening to me? Why can't I take just one step and end all this damned pain? I just had a little bit left to go. . ."Chris. . . Christine!"Wait.

Bella's voice. She sounded alarmed. Alarmed at. . . me? Bella was worried about me, about my decision. She always was. Always by my side, making sure I was okay. It was suffocating sometimes, but sweet. It was almost nice to have someone who was there, concerned about me. Concerned about me. . . until the very end_.Oh shit_, I thought. _I've made a terrible mistake_.

"Christine, what the _hell_ are you doing!" A paw on my shoulder tore me backwards so hard I fell flat on my back. Bella was standing above me, fur matted with rain, face flushed, eyes wide. I couldn't have been happier to see her. "What were you thinking?"

I shook my head. "I don't know, Bella. . . I really don't know."

Bella did the same, grunting with anger. "I know the situation looks bad, but that doesn't mean you should turn to. . . to _this_!" She grabbed me by the shoulders and hoisted me up to eye level. "There are too many people who care for you, Christine! You should be in there, with him! You. . . you're being so_ selfish!"_

My eyes began to sting with unshed tears. I looked up at Bella's face, feeling an all-new respect for the Nidoqueen. I sniffed. "I know, Bella. So much has gone wrong lately, I just. . . I-I'm sorry."

Bella watched me closely for a moment, then enveloped me in a tight bear hug. "I can't let you do this, Christine," she murmured in my ear. "No matter how hard it is. No matter how much it hurts."

I buried my face in her shoulder, suddenly sobbing. "I know, Bella. I know." She held me there for a moment, comforting me with the warmth of her body. It seemed to stave off the icy harshness of the rain. I felt good. . . or better, at least.

"You're a good friend, Bella," I sighed.

Bella chuckled softly, stroked the back of my head. "I know, Christine. I'm here for you."

I knew what I needed to do, but it took a moment to work up the courage. But. . . If I loved him as much I knew he did, I had to do this. For his sake. For our sake. He needed me as much as I needed him- even moreso now than ever- and it took me to the edge of death to figure it out.

"Take me to him," I breathed. My guardian needed watching.

()()()()()()()()()()

"Recovery seems. . ." Isaac checked the charts once more and frowned. It did not look good. ". . . unlikely." Poor Christine. She really did love that Growlithe.

He peeked back into the medical tent where the subject in question was housed. The patient did not look any worse, nor did he look nearly as good as he should have. The situation was bleak, but it did not stop the little Eevee. She had shown up hours ago after wandering out of the tent, soaking wet but with a big smile on her face. She ran up to the patient's side and hadn't moved from that very spot.

Isaac smiled. He could hear Christine speaking, not unlike singing, in the strange Pokemon tongue. With her eyes closed, mouth curled into a smile as she sang. . . she looked sere. At peace. It was inspiring how she could remain so positive for her mate, especially in the face of a situation so dire.

A paw tugged on his lab coat. Bella had returned to the tent, with Apollo fluttering in shortly after her and finding a roost on a small table. After the rain stopped the pair had gone out to search for the main road. The two exchanged some words, then looked back to Christine and the patient, listening to the soft song.

Bella smiled. Christine had completely changed in that one instant. She was hopeful now. You could still see pain in her eyes, but she kept wearing a smile for her mate, hoping it would be the first thing he sees when he wakes up.

Isaac told her it was likely that Blaze would never recover, but she was not convinced. Not with such a beautiful picture as this; it would be a crime to take such a love away, and hadn't Christine been through enough? Christine had had a close call with the cliff, but Bella reckoned it had opened her eyes a little bit wider. Blaze needed her here, whether he was conscious to know it or not.

Apollo listened to Christine's song, taking in the words. She had a beautiful voice, and her words were sung out of such a love it almost brought tears to his eyes. He resolved that, if he ever had the chance to return to Stormborough, he would work up the courage to finally ask that cute Staraptor to be his mate.

He tilted his head, and glanced to Bella. "She is singing about him, yes?" He indicated the unconscious Growlithe with a nod of his head. Bella nodded as well without opening her own eyes. Apollo was still having trouble understanding Christine's song, wonderful as it was. "So. . . Blaze_ est. . . angelo?"_

Bela smirked. "Maybe, Apollo. Maybe."

()()()()()()()()()()

I smiled at my unconscious mate and wondered if any of my words were actually reaching him. I hadn't stopped talking to him, singing to him, smiling with him since I came in with Bella from the rain. I knew it was supposed to help comatose patients when you spoke with them, but I wondered if the same applied to whatever state Blaze was currently in. I would have to ask him when he awoke.

He still looked worse for the wear, but I thought he looked a little more relaxed, his face a little more at ease. As if having me at his side was just what he would have wanted, should he ever wake up or not.

I sighed and rested my head against his chest, listening for his faint heartbeat. His breathing matched the soft thrum of his heart. I smiled, listening. This was proof he was still with me, and I knew I would be with him as long as it still beat.

"I love you, Blaze," I muttered, kissing his face. "I love you so much, my angel." I rest my head against his side, found his heart's steady rhythm once more. The soft thump was both calming and put my mind at ease. I closed my eyes and imagined what things would be like if I had never fallen into this mess, if I had never crossed paths with Beyond. I sighed again, this time, happily. I wouldn't give up what I had for anything else in the world. I looked up and saw a brown eye open, staring back at me.

"Christine. . . my angel. . ."

**A/N: One of three down, folks! Happy 2010!**


	18. Blaze's Redemption

**Author's Note: I'm slightly irritated that this website doesn't show dashes ( - ) anymore. I dunno when this happened, but suddenly all my older chapters have become impossible to read because the paragraph breaks have disappeared. Damn.**

**Anyhow. I started this chapter MONTHS ago, and it feels really good to finally be finishing it. And hopefully, my updates will continue to be delivered in a timely manner.**

It was the kiss.

That simple, quick, _damned_ kiss was the cause of everything, all our troubles. It was a terrible mistake from the beginning, but after so long apart. . . we just couldn't help ourselves.

Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful, but that was the whole problem. We both knew we couldn't carry on like this. How could we? We had lived our own lives while we were apart, and we expected that everything would return to normal just like that. After all, we loved each other, right? And they say absence makes the heart grow fonder.

That was our big mistake. My big mistake.

The love was gone for good, I could tell that much from the moment our lips touched. We were lost in the moment, but it was abundantly clear as soon as it passed. It was to me, at least. It was a mistake to even consider that were we still good for each other after being apart so long. No one just recovers from heartbreak so easily.

So there we stood, love lost to time, left only to chase after the spectres of our past.

()()()()()()()()

We sat before the fire, watching the withering flames crackle and burn, but the real warmth came from our bodies. She sidled closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder and giving a satisfied sigh. I had enjoyed the time we spent together over the last couple of days, but I knew it would last. I would have to be on my way within the next day or so, but I was okay with that. It just meant I had to cherish our time while it lasted.

"Just like old times, eh Blaze?" she murmured softly, her familiar voice like a warm summer day to my weary spirit. I drew my eyes from the fire, watched her beside me for a moment. Her eyes were shut lightly, content, and her lips parted ever-so-slightly as she breathed. I had to smile.

"Yeah. . . it really is."

She smiled to herself and snuggled closer, her chin still rested on my shoulder. I could feel the heat of her breath on my ear. "You don't have to leave, you know. You could always just. . . stay. With me." Though I could not see it, I knew she was grinning. "Forever."

I coughed uncomfortably and scooted away from her, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Staying a while would be nice," I avoided her gaze and pretended like I hadn't heard the last part of her proposition. "But she'll be better soon. She'll want to leave right away."

She pouted, of course. "Her? Really?" She wrinkled her nose. "Don't you think there's something. . . odd about her?"

I nodded, conceding. "Well. . . she's not usually like this. But she's had a lot to deal with lately, on top of her injury."

But she shook her head. "No, not like that. Don't you think there's something decidedly. . . _off_ about her? She just doesn't seem natural, y'know?"

I quickly shot her a look. She couldn't possibly have known about her _special _condition, could she? "Hey, careful with what you say. You're talking about my mate, after all."

She snorted, obviously trying to hold back an inappropriate giggle. "Your _mate_? Really?" I nodded and she chuckled, apparently finding the idea hysterical. "When you told me that I thought you were just having me on! You were serious? She's a bit. . . young for you, don't you think?"

"Of course I was serious! I love her, Az."

Azmaria pouted again. "But it's so weird! I mean, aren't you afraid of water types?" She shook her head disapprovingly. "It's just not natural."

"Not nat-" I was stunned into silence. I frowned at her. "Azmaria, she is my mate now, whether you think it's right or not! It's time you accepted it." After a moment. "And no. I've gotten over that stupid phobia."

She sighed and scooted closer to me again. "I suppose you're right. . . it's just such a shock to see you again. It was tearing me up inside to think that I lost you in the crash, Blaze."

I nodded, my eyes once more glued to the fireplace. "I thought the same, Az. For the longest time the only thing that kept me going was knowing I had to take care of Sam in your stead. But we've both gone our separate ways now." I sighed. "Whatever may have been between us is gone now."

There was a long silence. When she spoke, Azmaria sounded close to tears. "Don't you ever miss it, Blaze?"

I watched her for a long time as a thousand memories flooded my head. I remembered the way it was back then, before the car crash. Before Sam lost his eyesight. Before I lost my mate. "Of course I do, Azmaria. But it's all behind us now."

Azmaria sighed dejectedly and rested against my shoulder once more. "Yeah. . . I guess you're right." She chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if the crash had never happened. . . maybe we'd still be together, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Azmaria lifted her head suddenly, a grin on her face. There was a sly twinkle in her eye. "But while you're still here, perhaps we could. . . _be together_ once more, for old times' sake."

"Az!" I felt the blood rushing immediately to my cheeks, as well as elsewhere better left unmentioned. "Az, I _just_ told you! What was between us is over now! Christine is my mate, and there's no way I'd ever-"

She cut me off with a kiss, powerful and familiar. Everything- her scent, the taste of her mouth, the cute, helpless noise she made- brought me back to my youth, back to the days when it was just Azmaria and I. I was lost to the nostalgia and old love, inadvertently drew myself into her kiss, enjoying the moment immensely.

"B-blaze?" The words of dismay pierced the harmony of the moment, shattering it like a glass mirror. I broke away from Azmaria, my eyes falling on Christine, staring back at me in something that could only be described as absolute horror.

"Christine, I-" She didn't wait for an explanation, though. My mate took off before I could stop her, running out the Pokedoor and into the backyard.

"Blaze?" Azmaria asked from behind me. She chuckled. I hated that. "Now that she's left, maybe we could continue this elsewhere. . ." I whipped around, glaring at my old mate.

"Stay the _hell_ away from me, Azmaria." I growled at the female growlithe. "I love Christine now. It's best you took whatever was left between us and leave it where you found it, because so long as I have my mate by my side, I never want to see you again."

Azmaria stared back, wide-eyed. "B-blaze?"

I groaned. Too harsh. Tone it down. "Leave us be, Azmaria. Yes, of course I miss you, but the difference between us is that I've moved on." Before I exited the house through the Pokedoor, I gave Az one last look over my shoulder. "I strongly suggest you do the same."

And so I went to my mate, my true love.

Through the Pokedoor was the backyard, and in the backyard was a garden with a little path leading through rows of flowers that seemed to glow with color despite the fact it was the middle of the night. I tossed the idea around of picking one for Christine, but I noticed all the flowers were ringed with tiny thorns, and I had no desire to cut up my mouth on the way to apologize to my mate. I had a feeling I would need it.

The path through the garden eventually opened up to a small stone courtyard, complete with silvery pond and perfect view of the moon overhead. Christine sat at the water's edge, head hung low and her finned ears drooping. I bit my lip, suddenly aware that I had no idea what I was supposed to say to her- how could I explain what I did?

As I approached, Christine's ears perked. She looked up slowly, eyes wide and vulnerable, filled with betrayal. She quickly wiped her eyes, but it was clear that she had been crying.

"Go away," she muttered, turning back to the water. My mind raced. What was I supposed to say? How could I make this better? _Apologize, you idiot._

"Christine, I-"

"How _could_ you?" She interrupted me, getting right in my face. Her eyes were wide and red. She'd _really_ been crying before I approached her. "How could you do that to me, Blaze? I-I know she's your old mate, but. . . th-that doesn't mean you can go and. . ." Her vindication wavered, and at the end she hiccupped and began breaking down into tears. My heart sunk.

"Christine, I. . ." Now that I had the chance to speak, I _still_ didn't know how I would fix this. "I don't know what to say. I can't deny what I did." I sighed. That sounded terrible. Why the hell would I start working against myself? "It was a moment of weakness. . . but Christine, _she_ kissed _me_." And now I sounded like I was making lame excuses. Fantastic. "I. . . I guess I couldn't help myself." I sighed once more. I didn't dare, couldn't look her in the eye.

She took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice wavered slightly. "I know what happened, Blaze. I understand it perfectly." She must have overheard Azmaria and I talking beforehand. "It's just. . . how can I trust you anymore?"

"Christine, you _know_ I love you," I protested. "I love you more than there are days in a year! It's. . ." I trailed off. Frustratingly, I couldn't put my thoughts into words. _Start over_. "I can't explain what I did. Azmaria. . . I really don't love her. It was a mistake, really!"

Christine sighed, turning back toward the pond. "Blaze, how can I really know? You looked like you enjoyed it so much. . ."

I looked away for a moment. This felt like the only chance I'd ever get to redeem myself. I had to make it right. . . I had to choose my words carefully. " Azmaria. . . isn't even in the same _league _as you." I took a deep breath. "The twinkle in her eye, the brightness in her smile. . . it just doesn't appeal to me the way it used to. Christine, I'm over her. . . it's _you_ I love."

Christine sniffed. "Blaze, I don't know what to do. How can I. . ."

I shook my head, gave her a sad smile. "I never expected you to forgive me right away, Christine. I just want to make sure you knew it really is you that I love." I shrugged. She deserved some time alone, to think. I understood the gravity of what I had done. "Maybe in time, I guess."

I began to walk away, completely convinced that I had blown my last chance at being happy ever again. What reason would she have to forgive me? Why we she take me in the first place? I sighed. I didn't care if we would never have our own family. I wanted Christine, my Christine, and nothing more.

"Blaze!" Christine shouted, running to catch up with me. The moment I stopped and turned to face her, she pounced and planted a kiss on my lips. I blinked in astonishment, but I was overcome by such a strong feeling of relief and of love, I closed my eyes, returning the kiss with my mate.

Slowly, she broke away and licked my nose lovingly. I smiled.

"So. . . am I forgiven?" I asked quietly. She nodded, all smiles. I could feel tears- happy tears, tears of joy- running down my cheeks. I sighed softly and nuzzled her face. I made a silent promise to never let go of my loved ones ever again. I wouldn't make the same mistakes I made with Azmaria. I was determined to make this work, to make _us_ work. I wanted Christine to be by my side, and I at hers, for the rest of our lives.

Of course, the _Beyond Corporation_ had other plans.

()()()()()()()()()()

To avoid complicated farewells, we left early on the next morning, As we cut through Audrey's gardens, I swear I saw Azmaria's face in a window, watching us go, but as I passed through a bush she disappeared. We retraced our path through the city and left northward out of Geothera through the mountains. We walked on in silence through much of the morning, giving time to let the previous night's awkwardness disperse.

I wanted to say something, _anything_, to lighten her up, but I struggled to find the words to say. I could've told her how much I loved her, I could've told her how happy I was to be leaving behind those sad memories. I wish I had told her how perfect she was, how she made everything better by simply being there. She was an angel. My angel, and I wanted her to know it. I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me, but I never got the chance.

"Christine, you're-" Midsentence I was interrupted when a small purple hand clamped around my muzzle. Over my shoulder I saw its owner: Sableye was perched on my back, holding one finger over her mouth in the universal body language for silence.

_-Ah, ah, ah. . .- _Sableye hissed, glaring at me. _-Don't say a word. We have need of you back at HQ, so I need you to do something for me-_

"What's wrong, Blaze?" Christine was looking over at me, deep concern in her eyes. I waited for her to react to the dark pokemon on my back, but she never made and suggestion that she could even _see_ Sableye.

-_I am invisible to her- _Sableye purred, patting the top of my head. I cringed, glaring at her over my shoulder. She scowled. _-What sort of fool do you take me for? You know how I operate-_

"Are. . . you afraid of the mountains?" Christine asked, voice full of innocent concern, blatantly unaware of the danger she and I were in.

-_Ah, so naïve. How _cute_- _Sableye spat the last word out, then direction her attention down to me. -_Be a good doggy and repeat after me: "Christine, I have to go"-_

I narrowed my eyes at her, resisting the urge to say something aloud and risk the ghostly pokemon's wrath. She grabbed the scruff of my neck in one hand and pulled her face close to mine. _- Don't be a fool. You knew this day would come, now do as I say-_

"I mean, it'll be hard. . ." Christine continued speaking to me, oblivious of the danger she was in. In this case, it may have been for the best that she did not know. "But together we can-"

"Christine, I have to go," I blurted out after a moment of hesitation. I glared briefly at Sableye, then turned my attention back to Christine. She did not answer at first, instead just watching me quizzically for a moment.

-_Tell her you're leaving her- _Sableye continued, grabbing my chin and dragging my head up. Her smirk was so unnerving it sent a shiver down my spine. -_Do it, or the consequences will be dire. You know of my power- _To prove her point, she slid a finger across her throat. I glanced at Christine out of the corner of my eye. Could I do it, if only to protect her? Could I bring myself to say it after what we had just gone through the night before?

"Well. . ." Christine said slowly, "there are some trees over there, but I don't-" I shook my head. She cocked hers to one side in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"No, I mean. . ." I hesitated. Sableye leaned over my shoulder and gestured with her hands for me to continue. I took a deep breath. "I'm leaving. . ." Christine watched me incredulously, eyebrows knit tightly together in worry. ". . . leaving _you_."

Christine's reaction was delayed. For a moment she just stared, open-mouthed, then slowly her eyes widened in disbelief. Over my shoulder, Sableye cackled. At least _she_ was enjoying it. It meant that Christine was safe, for now.

Christine just watched him for a moment, before her own eyes widened in disbelief. "Wh-what?"

I couldn't bear to look her in the eye anymore. I dropped my head, shaking it slowly. _Please understand, it's for your safety. _"I'm sorry Christine, I-"

"This isn't funny, Blaze!" Christine shouted angrily. She sounded mad, but her lip quivered as she held my gaze, and her eyes were wide in fear. "So stop it! Just. . . just stop. It's not funny. . . let's go." She turned on her heel and began walking back down the road. I moved to join her but was smacked on the head from behind.

-_You are not going anywhere- _Sableye hissed, -_You're not going with her. Tell her-_

"I-I'm sorry, Christine. . . I can't go with you." _Please, please, PLEASE understand!_ It almost killed me to say those words, but I didn't dare cross Sableye. I knew how powerful the witch was. . . I didn't want to think of what she could do to Christine if I upset her. _Her safety comes first. Hopefully she'll understand what's going on. . ._

"Blaze, stop fooling around!" Christine shouted, her voice cracked slightly. Her anger came from desperation. I wanted nothing more than to reassure her, but I couldn't take that risk.

Sableye tugged back on my ears, wrenching my chin up. -_Look serious! She must believe your words- _I snarled at her as she released my ears. -_And no tricks. . . Or else.-_

"I'm not kidding, Christine," I said as solemnly as I could, trying, with difficulty, to drop all emotion from my face and voice. When I looked at her, it made me cringe. She was crying now.

-_Not good enough. You have to get rid of her completely- _Sableye hissed threatening, grabbing the top of my head and forcing me to face my mate. -_Tell her you've got what you wanted from her. Tell her that you don't need her anymore-_

I cringed and squeezed my eyes shut as tight as I could. "I. . . I've already got what I wanted from you. . ." I swallowed hard, "And now. . . I don't need you anymore." I couldn't watch her pain anymore. I turned around and began walking away, back toward Geothera. Sableye patted my head.

-_Good doggy-_

"Blaze!" Christine cried, anguished. I couldn't bring myself to look back at her. It was too painful for me to even think. My movements were mechanical, one foot in front of the other, step after step, trying to put as much distance from this place as I could.

I growled, looking over my shoulder at the ghost, now reclining on my back, examining her nails. "You're a monster."

_-Flattery will get you nowhere, dear- _Sableye said with a smirk. She grabbed my ears and pulled me around so I faced Christine once again. She had followed me down the path, stopping abruptly a few feet away. She mouthed my name, but no sound came out.

_-Make her cry, dog-_ Sableye hissed, then whispered something in my ear. I gasped.

"No. . . no, I can't!" I whispered back frantically. The ghost gave me a glare that said 'do-it-or-else', and I had no choice but to concede. I sighed, faced my mate, swallowed hard. _Forgive me, Christine._

"I have to go. . . Azmaria's waiting for me." I didn't even want to see her reaction. I just wanted to be gone. _I'm so sorry, Christine. . ._

"Blaze. . ." Christine whimpered, desperation obvious in her voice. I gave her one last look over my shoulder and mouthed the word 'sorry', before breaking into a run down the path to Geothera.

-_See? That wasn't so bad, was it?-_

"Shut the hell up," I growled. I could feel that I was dangerously close to tears, but I kept running, as if putting distance between my mate and I would dull the pain.

_-Don't pretend you didn't know this was going to happen. This was the risk you took from the beginning-_

I ignored her words, my thoughts were busy elsewhere. He was back? Why now? What did this mean about me, about Christine?

Christine. I sighed, knowing full well that I would never see my angel again.

()()()()()()()()()()

He had no restraints. No chains or rope to bind him, no shackles to keep him. If he wanted to run, he could have. In fact, the very thought had crossed his mind several times, but he knew better than that. There would be no escaping, even if he managed to get past the scientists, guards, and crown drones.

_-A band of red upon his head. . .-_

That singing, _goddamn_ that singing. I wished that she would stop that infernal singing. None of this would be nearly as bad if she weren't rubbing it in my face every five minutes.

"It's been a while, Blaze."

I couldn't bring myself to look at him. There were too many conflicting feelings. . . This man was my lifeline. He took me in when I was alone, he provided me with a home. He and his family showed me kindness, a kindness I betrayed when I went back on my word.

From the day Christine first appeared in my life, he saw that I was falling for her. He told me the risks, confirmed what Christine had told me: she was their project. An _experiment_, to use the word the scientists used to describe her, as though she were no more than a mere laboratory mouse. I was told not to become attached to her, that she would be gone from my life soon enough.

-_You shall do what we want to. . .-_

The Sableye continued to dance around me in obvious glee. Off to my right, a pair of scientists readied an object I knew all too well: a small, thin band of red metal that was, in this instance, intended for me. The scientists worked with small, dexterous tools on the complex circuitry inside the crown. I sighed. I knew what the crown was capable of, and I feared that I would soon face the same fate.

_-No telling why, you can't deny. . .-_

"You can't say we didn't warn you, my boy." The man's voice was cold, but his smile was paradoxically warm and inviting. "It was foolish running off with Project Christine, but you knew the risks, right? Better to have loved and lost, and all that."

A moment passed in utter silence, save for the Sableye's incessant singing. All the while, the man continued to smile at me.

"I hear Azmaria's alive," he continued calmly, smile never leaving his face. He stroked his white mustache thoughtfully. "Does that bring back some memories, Blaze? Things haven't been the same since the accident, have they?"

I shook my head.

_-Bend to our will, and you shall kill. . .-_

The scientists approached the man, handing him the crown. He seemed unfazed.

"Ah, there we go." He spoke quietly to them for a moment, before turning back to me. "Don't worry, old friend. You and Christine shall be together again soon enough. There is a man under my payroll who is good at. . . _collecting_ things. In fact, he has young Shadow and his companions under his care at this very moment."

For whatever reason, this comment made Sableye laugh hysterically. The man stood from his chair and approached me.

"You've been faithful to me for a long time, Blaze. I would like to trust you enough to stay at my side, but unfortunately I cannot do that anymore. Not without a little. . . insurance."

He handed the crown to the Sableye. "Would you care to do the honors, Noai?"

The ghost grinned and snatched the object from his hands. She floated above my head, holding the crown in the air with two hands, at the ready.

The Director of Beyond, Professor Samuel Giacomo Linden, smiled warmly at me, but he had an decidedly malicious gleam in his unseeing eyes.

"Welcome home, old friend," He said, nodding. The Sableye cackled.

_-An unbreakable bond, submit to Beyond!-_

()()()()()()()()()()

It's strange to be a passenger inside your own mind.

You're not aware of anything your body is doing, but you're still _there_. It's as if your body took the wheel and your mind took the backseat, but the seat in front of it was too high to see so it just buckled itself in tighter and hoped for the best.

In my own mind there was a lot of blackness, but occasionally I would see groups of memories flash by. I had a lot of time to think about things, all sorts of things. How I'd lived my life 'til now, what I planned to do with my life. I thought about my childhood, and my life with Azmaria up until the car crash, and my life afterwards. I thought about the day you crashed headfirst into my life. If you hadn't stolen that particular sandwich, or if I had known you were his latest subject. . . maybe all this could have been avoided. Maybe you would be safe and sound, and maybe I wouldn't be a prisoner inside my own head.

But then I never would have met you, Christine. We never would have spent all that time, all those adventures together. I remembered the first day I fell in love with you, and I remember the heartbreak I felt when your human-turned-Pokemon fiancée showed up next door. I remember the sadness I felt when you moved away, the sheer terror I felt as I charged through the rain, medicine bag in my mouth, begging, _begging_ that you would live until I arrived to save the day.

I would never give up anything for all that. Knowing all that has happened, I couldn't give up all those memories, even it meant the two of us would be safe now. Does that make me selfish? Am I a bad dog for choosing the love of my mate over her life?

Maybe. Maybe not. I'll never know now.

When was the last time I told you I love you, Christine? When was the last time I told you that you were my angel?

In my head, the darkness closed around me like a warm blanket. It was comforting.

There wasn't anything else I could do. It was time to sleep. . .

_. . . _singing?

No, it couldn't have been. I was dead, right? But. . . I could hear it clearly. A song, a familiar melody. One that you always sang, Christine. One that you always sang. . .

There was an explosion in my head as all my senses switched to overdrive all at once. I could only see blackness, but I could hear singing and a tiny mechanical _beep_, even over the sound of rushing water. I could smell mud and water and something sweet and familiar nearby. I tasted. . . well, blood, but I didn't feel like dwelling on that for too long. But the most overwhelming feeling of all was something soft and warm resting against me.

I opened my eyes, just a crack. I was nearly blinded by the light, but after a moment I could see a blurry image of a creature standing over me. The creature was blue and the light seemed to make an angelic halo around its body. And she was beautiful.

"Christine. . . my angel. . ."


End file.
